


Relearning to Still Dabble

by lacewing



Series: RLTB [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-18
Updated: 2015-05-14
Packaged: 2018-01-09 03:12:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 24,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1140751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lacewing/pseuds/lacewing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of dabbles and shorts of the characters and side characters to the two main stories of Relearning to Breathe and Still Breathing</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Still Breathing Dabble 1

this one is random silliness. Taking place at any point after Hope and Gamzee moved in with Karkat.

000

Sleep is not allowed!

000

 

Gamzee poked around the apartment looking for Hope. He found the young woman asleep currently. She had been doing something on Karkat’s laptop, which was half falling off her lap. Her head back over the couch and mouth open as she slept. A slight snore emanating from her, which amused him. He’d heard her make some of the most fascinating noises when she slept. The one he liked best was the soft little purr she would make when she was curled up in her most comfortable position.

Draped over the little jungle gym toy the grub was also asleep. A small bubble at its nose expanding and contracting. The little one draped on its back little claws moving periodically as it dreamed.

He grinned at the cute little motherfucker and then reached over taking the laptop and closing it. He set it down and carefully shifted Hope so that she was laying more comfortably along the couch. She shifted muttering into her hand that curled up next to her mouth.

Gamzee grinned and flopped himself at the end of the couch and lifted her feet onto his lap.

She wiggled a little and settled.

With a lazy grin in place Gamzee slowly started to run a finger along her toes. She shivered and wiggled her toes. He watched her with heavy lidded eyes and his smile grew wider. Then his lightly drew a nail down the inside of her foot.

She about kicked him, curled herself up and resettled in her sleep.

He chuckled, with a soft honk he leaned over her and just seemed to appear to study the way her hair fell over her neck through heavy lidded eyes.  Slowly he leaned closer and laid a soft kiss upon her temple. Smearing a little of his makeup there. This made him grin and sitting back out of range he then ran a finger up her back.

And hit just the right spot.

With a startled scream she came out of her sleep and went right off the couch. He fall back over the back of the couch laughing his ass off. Snorting out honks. When she managed to get her wits together she could hear Gamzee and see his feet kicking over the back of the couch.

With a growl she dived over after him. “You asshole!”

000

The little grub ended up being started awake with the thump and laughter of the adults. The grub blinked and then shifting around decided to ignore them and finish its nap.

Adults were so silly. 


	2. Cute Grub Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Grubs use crayons? Yes they can!

Relearning /Still Breathing Dabble 2

Cute Grub shenanigans.

000

The little grub who was mostly referred to currently as ‘Jinglebutt’ titled its head as it watched Eric coloring on a piece of paper, the boy had a little fist full of flowers. Their guardians were looking over a book to the side of the playground.

Jinglebutt made an inquiring noise moving over to see more of what Eric was going.

“Oh hey, wanna make a card too?” Eric asked the grub.

Who titled its head rising up and balancing on the vestiual claws of its middle body segment.

“Here, see, you take a piece of paper like this, and you fold it in half. Now you can open it like a book, see?” Jinglebutt nodded and the boy continued “Now see mine? I put a picture of my mom on the front and inside a heart. ‘Cause  love her and wanted to tell her so.”

Jinglebutt seemed to consider this concept and then suddenly got it, bouncing excitedly. Eric laughed at the little grub acting like a bouncing puppy and shifted to there was room on his drawing board for the grub to come up beside him.

It took a moment for the grub to figure out how ot hold the crayon. But they where nice and big which made it easier to grip in its front claws. And with much consideration it stared at the blank paper with great deliberation.

Then started to sketch. Messy lines but in bright cheerful colors.

000

“MOMMY!” Eric called and tackle glomped his mother who laughed half shoved back by her son. The boy held up the little card he made plus the flowers “For you!”

She admired the little creation with pleasure and sniffed the flowers before tucking one into her son’s hair laughing as he grinned at her widely and showing off a missing front tooth.

Hope was amused and glanced down to see that her own little grub was also holding a card. She picked up both card and Grub and looked at the front. It took a moment to sort out the scribbles as a drawing. Then she grinned widely. It was all head shots, Herself and Karkat drawn in red and Gamzee in a dark purple. Showing that even at this age Grubs were aware of blood color on an instinctive level. Inside had the three again, only this time all around the little green squiggle she figured had to be the grub itself. It was all just so happy. She gave the little grub a hug and showed the artistic masterpiece to Jade who shared her own son’s creation with her.

Hope later took the grub and card inside one it started to sprinkle outside. She put the card up on the frig proudly. Displaying the little one’s artwork.

Gamzee wandered over to see what she put up and she explained the concept of the card to Gamzee, who found the sentiment sweet.  He took the grub up on his back and the two of them went to watch cartoons on the television.

When Karkat came out he blinked at the card. “What the fuck is this?”

“The little dude made it. Isn’t it just the cutest motherfucking thing?” Gamzee said leaning on the wall into the kitchen.

“The grub?” OK, for skill level Karkat was a little impressed. The fact that everyone was somewhat recognizable really said something. “I don’t get it.”

“It’s the motherfucker’s feelings.” Gamzee grinned at his friend.

It took a moment, but Karkat started to get the picture. This was some weird human thing that the grub had picked up and mimicked. But the emotions depicted were the grub’s. He found himself smiling slightly. OK, it was cute. Even if he didn’t fully get it. But the little green squiggle looked so happy with them all around it.

He paused, the little grub was, happy? Yes, he decided, the little one was incredibly happy.

“Heh.” He relaxed then opened the frig to grab himself a drink.

Gamzee flopped himself on Karkat who growled at him. The other just chuckled “I think we all feel the same motherfucking thing, mothering best friend.”

Karkat paused in his nearly close to tirade at the larger troll, then paused. He glanced at the picture and shook his head “I admit to nothing” he stated, got his drink and managed to escape Gamzee who just honked at him and grabbed one of his disgusting Faygos.

But yeah, Karkat couldn’t remember being this happy. So the grub was fucking right.

He just wondered how long it would last. 

 


	3. Contemplation in the Bath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They gotta fix that door...

Relearning /Still Breathing Dabble 3

Contemplation in the bath

WARNING: Not work or kiddie friendly. Nudity and references to human and alien anatomy. You have been warned. 

000

He heard the water running and waited. Leaning against the wall, long limbs just draped along his sides and legs half sprawled out away. He looked like he could slide down the wall any moment. But he was balanced.

The water shut off and he waited. He was patient. Far more so than many gave him credit for. He could wait. He was always waiting. Sometimes waiting got painful and he had to blow off steam. Usualy by teasing her.

Hope, he couldn’t get her off his mind. As he waited he reached up above the door coming down with a small stick.

The key to the door. Oh, Hope always locked and she had of yet not figured out that there was a key to the door on the outside. He was pretty sure Karkat forgot it was there too, maybe it was because he was so much taller and had a habit of running his hands around things that he found the key sitting there.

Karkat was outside at the moment. Likely being swamped by moms with their own little ones while he was there keeping an eye on the grub. Gamzee had been taking a ‘nap’ in the livingroom, mostly it had been an excuse to touch Hope while she was working. He rested a hand along her feet, a leg along her side. And since he was ‘sleeping’ she didn’t kick him off.

After a bit she closed the computer and waving a hand over him to make sure he was out, she brushed back a bit of his hair and it was all his will not to reach up and grab her hand. She got up and went to the bathroom. He expected her to be back, but then she didn’t. Then he heard the shower run.

Oh that was agony, he wanted to crawl in with her and run his hands down her skin like the water. To grip her until her skin was marked with his hands, his teeth…

He wanted to make her scream…

So he moved over and just listened to her shower, humming pleasantly to herself and after a several minutes (he always noticed she was a fast shower person, even Karkat took longer, and Gamzee was lazy about his showers just letting the water run over his skin while he zoned until it ran cold.) the shower turned off, but then he still heard water.

She must have decided to take a soak. The tub was not really the best for soaking, but it was a basin to fill.

This was when it was worse, he could see her in his mind just laying there head back and eyes closed. Hair slowly starting to dry and the little short bits flying off. He waited longer. Until he was sure, and carefully he unlocked the door. He was practiced enough to keep the lock from  popping and making noise. But when he went to open it, it stopped. He grinned, she was blocking it now was she?

So carefully he worked the door, there was enough give, he could get his fingers and feel for whatever was there, a chair under the doorknob. Nice and easy. Carefully he started to wiggle it, taking his time. His smile growing ever wider.

Then he felt the chair give and he quickly opened the door and caught the chair, lifting it so that it didn’t bang and make noise. Carefully he set it outside the bathroom and snuck in.

She had a single candle burning and the sweet vanilla smell filled the steam filled room. As much of her as she could get to fit into the water was submerged and her feet resting up above the faucet as she just relaxed, possibly dozed even.

And he knelt down at the edge of the tub and watched her. He wanted to cover her in kisses. Hell, to do so much more than that. Her body was something exotic to him. So different from his own kind. It was like her breasts, they were round globes, kind of like juggling balls, and the right size too, but were softer, squishier looking just begging to be touched. From his hunts on the internet he saw that they served to feed young. Since human grubs were not born with teeth and needed more care than Troll’s. Very different from female trolls. Whose chests were smaller, with a very different purpose, it was something connected to their breathing he thought.  The closer connection to the water dwellers showed in the land dwelling females than the males. Like the water dwelling males showed the ties to the land dwellers with their slimmer forms and not as refined breathing sacks. Well they might have had another purpose a long time ago, but that was before. He… thought. Maybe? Not that Gamzee knew. He didn’t think any troll knew anymore really.

But that feeding, it explained so much, of why she was so close to the grub, of how she was able to just act like a cross between a lusus and a queen. He’d seen the pregnant females of the humans and it fascinated him. Unconsciously he reached out and spread his hand a crossed her belly and wondered what it would be like to feel life inside there. The belly button there also fascinated him. Trolls did not have those. Their bellies smooth but for the folds of skin and muscle, but no belly button. That was something humans had, left over from their time inside those female bellies. That connection to their parent…

And she was so different below as well. He risked much in waking her just from touching her belly, she was highly ticklish, so he drew back his hand and leaned his chin into the folds of his arms staring at her resting face. Oh, he could well imagine how they could fit together, she wasn’t that different, but it was like she was missing parts. When it came to their genitals the difference between male and female among trolls was not as extreme as humans. Oh there were differences. Males had more pronounced bulges, and females deeper nooks. A few other things here and there. But he wanted to explore the human differences with Hope.

Shifting he drew a little closer, his face near hers. Just staring, this close she really did look so much like something he expected. Just very pale. Her hair, her skin, so pale in comparison to a troll’s. And when she opened her eyes they where outline in white but the color was like a young pupa’s. The blood not showing in her gaze like it did in Gamzee’s or Karkat’s.

He paused a moment and then leaned in and rested his lips against her’s. It was rash, it was impulsive, it very likely set him back months of hard work getting her use to him and maneuvering her into a more open state of mind.

But she was his. He claimed her and he would let no one else have her. His kiss deepened and as he opened half lidded eyes he found she was staring at him with very wide grey ones.

Then he found himself shoved, water practically rose up out of the tub to half drown him and she screamed.

“GAMZEE YOU PERVERTED NOOK SUCKING SON OF A BASTARD COCKROACH!” she grabbed the curtain around the tub and used that to pull over her nakedness. He for his part blinked as paint ran down his face with water and his hair dripped. Then he started to crack up. Just rolling as he roared. She continued to chew him out like an angry bird managing to start hitting him with the bath brush to try and chase him out.

Oh, this was such fun!

 


	4. Shopping Season

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a note, alot of the dabbles are not necessarily in order and some are even future or long past events. Just more random bits of stuff around the world that I either didn't add to the chapters (didn't quite fit, wasn't necessary for story) or I just didn't think of til after I'd finished the chapter!

Relearning /Still Breathing Dabble 4

Dabble 4

Shopping Season

(What was in the first gift from Gamzee to Hope, and why Karkat was trying to beat his best friend to death with it? MATURE to be on the safe side.)

000

Gamzee walked down the street, hands in pockets. Jinglebutt was riding on his head balanced between his horns. The little motherfucker was all sleepy, making cute noises that just made the troll want to pinch his little cheeks.

But at the moment, the troll had a goal. He was hunting for gifts for his friends. He’d already found something for Karkat. Some new gadgets were being released in troll sense of style and sensibilities. Gamzee knew that Karkat missed some of the old aesthetics of their homeworld, so he should like the new toys the Capricorn managed to find.

A new toy for the grub and it was happy. He found these bitchtit miracles of a thing called ‘nerf’ and their toy weapons. Not as ideal as the real thing, but surprisingly fun. He managed to get together a collection of them that were waiting until after the grub had its wiggling day. When it had real hands to play with them, get the little one some practice in with them.

Hope though was a bit more fun to hunt for. One part of the gift was mostly Gamzee but Karkat was helping too. Finding and replacing much of the ruined and lost collection of DVDs and games that Hope use to have. All her brightly colored miraculous animations. Most of that was hunting online auctions and warehouse shops. Some he found wandering about like now. Just going store to store and seeing what caught his eye.

But he was wanting something a bit more personable. Not a shared gift, or generic. He didn’t get a lot of things, but he understood that this holiday was meant to be fun and surprising.

Suddenly Gamzee saw the store and his smile got very wide. “Motherfuckin’ miracles.” He said and walked into the place.

Named Tiffany’s.

000

“Like the color?” he asked the grub who just yawned and curled up more among Gamzee’s hair. It made it look like he had a hat on. A little green and grey hat.

“Yeah, me neither.” He commented putting the ‘adult’ toy away. It looked interesting, but he wasn’t sure it was right. It just looked weird to him. Not the right shape. And all the whole ’16 function’ thing just made it sound all complicated.

Plus it only seemed to come in neon colors. And not even a purple one either.

“Can I help you sir?” the lady at the register had been pretty bored when he came in and was only speaking now because he’d been wandering about for nearly an hour scratching his head.

“Got anything that might be good for a motherfucking troll and a human?”

The lady blinked, looked him up and down and then raised a brow “Well actually, we just got in some new stuff.” And she left the counter going around to an area of the store he hadn’t made it to. He followed and in the back of the store, next to the video collection, was a single display of troll toys and even smaller, was a set for mixed couples.

“It’s not yet popular enough for us to carry much” she told him “But we do have a few pieces, and this one here.” She indicated a particular toy, that had a very familiar shape to Gamzee “Is one of our most popular, for those curious as well as those needing to.. get use… to the differences in human and troll anatomy.”

“Motherfucking perfect.” He said looking at the toy and then pausing, because behind the first one was another in JUST the right shade of indigo.

“Miracles.” He said definitely liking the choice.

The lady actually snickered, “Well if you are interested, we also have a collection of buckets, as well as contraceptives.” She was showing him the troll’s side of the items. Pointing out various things and their uses. He just nodded and picking out a few other items he piled them into a bucket, not the ones he’d seen down around the dollar stores when he bought faygo, but nice coated metal and of a shape much more familiar to a troll, as it was designed for the use during the act of mating.

He paused as he finished paying. Looking at the stuff, now walking down the street with a bucket would be considered more than a little rude, plus he wanted to give it to Hope before Karkat found out, or the little troll likely would interfere on the girl’s behalf.

“Yes sir?” the woman said, watching the larger troll scratch at the base of his horns.

“Hmm it’s meant to be all this motherfucking gift, but just carrying it out…”

“Ah! I understand, here for an extra few dollars we do gift wrap.”

Gamzee brightened “Miraculous”

000

Later as he was laughing, dodging the incredibly embarrassed Karkat’s blows with the box containing his gift to Hope…

It was still worth it. 

 


	5. 5 and 6

This one was a bit on the really short side, so I combined it with the 6th dabble.

Dabble 5

BeSt FrIeNd

000

Karkat was doing a little work at home. Seated at the table his laptop open  and typing out some notes from his crappy and often angry handwriting into equally crappy and angry business meeting notes.

He was one of these days going to leave something vile on those fat human moron’s desks… Maybe flaming piles of pawbeast excrement.

While he cheered himself with thoughts of childish pranks and trolling his bosses. A shadow made it’s way up behind him. Footsteps masked by Karkat’s tapping keys.

Then suddenly a form dropped itself on him. Arms draped down along Karkat’s sides over his shoulders and a chin flopped on his head, likely getting greasy white makeup all over his hair.

Karkat made a slight growl, but chose to ignore Gamzee. Perhaps the larger troll would get bored and just… go away. He was so not in the mood, he had to finish writing up the report notes (with his own colorful embellishments added) before he went to work today.

“Best Friend…” Gamzee started. And, there was no reaction. So he tried again “Best friend!” still nothing.

“Best friend! Hey, bro, Best Friend! Bestfriendbestfriendbestfriend. Besssssssssst Friiiiiii-eeeEEEEnd….”

Karkat felt himself twitching and by the time Gamzee started to sing song the phrase he felt himself snap “WHAT DO YOU WANT?”

Gamzee paused, seemed to think really hard, his lips pursed for a moment. Then suddenly his arms wrapped around Karkat in a huge hug. “best friend” he said quietly and lovingly.

Karkat grumbled something from his cage that was not likely physically possible for Gamzee to do and would likely end in the other’s most horrible demise.

“Die.. just.. die…”

“Honk” :o)

000

Dabble 6

In Silence

000

Gamzee carefully studied what he was doing, fingers deafly working the slippery material into the flesh. Kneading carefully so there was no pain.

Hope just kept her head down as Gamzee worked the lotion into her arm and up her shoulder. It was a mix of vitamins, lotion and something that the Highblood provided and ordered used. Whatever that was, it was green. Seemed to be something the trolls were greatly excited about. Some sort of organic substance that was being carefully cultured in great vats in an area going up by the egg hive down town.

But despite the incredibly small amounts that there was currently, the highblood got hold of some and gave it to Hope.

Karkat had given Gamzee a lot of threats, the other had only replied he was off the stuff. And Hope was confused but no one filled her in. She would likely have to go sit on Karkat later about the matter if she wanted any answers. Gamzee was slippery as an eel if he didn’t want to answer something and if she tried sitting on him, well he’d take that to a totally different direction than she intended.

So Hope still had no clue what it was, but it seemed to ease the itching even better than anything and it seemed to be doing no harm. So she let them continue mixing it with the lotion and other stuff to create a very interesting concoction that reminded her of the slime from nickelodeon. It dried and then flaked off her skin, but didn’t feel dirty. It felt nice. She would wait until it started to flake and then Karkat or Gamzee would carefully remove any excess green goop. Well, admittedly in this, Hope preferred Gamzee’s longer fingers and gentle hands around the pins in her arm than Karkat who was both very businesslike about it and very rushed in the whole matter. He didn’t go out of his way to cause pain, but he’d end up pulling on some of the pins.

Gamzee didn’t seem to mind taking his time and making sure she was comfortable the whole way through.

Gamzee helped her shift a little so he could start rubbing the lotion onto the back of her shoulder. For this she wore a tube top and tried not to lean on anything so that there wasn’t any of the slime getting on the furniture.

Chin resting on the tops of her knees she wrapped her free arm around her knees and took a long breath. Gamzee shifted behind her and she felt him working her shoulder more. Then he finished and reached around giving her a light hug. She let him. It was a warm comforting presence at the moment. He was careful of the break, leaning her back so he could trap her in his little cage of limbs and tuck her head under his chin. He also didn’t care two licks about getting any of the goop on his shirts. He’d just change after she was cleaned up or let it flake off, which usually had Karkat grumbling obscenities while he took a vacuum to the mess to keep the grub from trying to eat any of it. So hope would try and poke Gamzee to go change rather than making a mess.

She closed her eyes and just let her breath even out. At the moment she was so doped that it was difficult to even think so she didn’t complain about a lot of the things Gamzee did, so long as he didn’t cause her pain. The other was content at the moment to hold her and after a little while he checked the flaking of the goop. It seemed to be dry enough for his tastes so he got her up to the bathroom. Where she sat at the edge of the tub and first he took the shower head off the hook and with warm water sprayed her arm. The Grub followed and the little one threw up its upper body to watch the adults in curiosity. It seemed fascinated by the thinned out green goop going down the drain.

Hope reached out her good hand and stroked back the grub’s hair which made the little one purr at her and smile widely. She gave a smile back.

When Gamzee finished rinsing he took a luffa and began the slow task of wiping off any remainder, though allowing for the small amounts that were in the groves caused by the pins. When he was done with this task Hope had the sleepy eyed gaze of someone about to fall to sleep. He carried her back to the living room and curled her up on the couch with him. Picking up the remote and channel surfing. The little grub would sometimes crawl up and curl up in Hope’s lap as she leaned back against Gamzee, or would go off to play. Today it decided to play, pulling out one of the coloring books from its toy bin and the box of big bright crayons that it would get all over the condo in its amusing attempts to keep hold of the implements of coloring joygasms on paper.

This would likely annoy Karkat later, but not as much as he seemed to put on as most of the little one’s work practically papered the refrigerator.

So Gamzee flipped idly through the channels as Hope’s eyes sagged and soon she was resting. And comfortably enough leaning back against him as he heard the soft purring like noise she made. He smiled and found some movie playing to watch. 

 

 


	6. 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the first 'Trillian' editions. Meeting and hanging out with the side cast from there. Gingo, Unique, Sollux, Jake and Equius

Trillians Edition part 1

Just a bit of dabble following some of the other characters in the story. This is where Unique first got herself hired at Trillians back when they first opened before the start of the story.

000

 

Unique was feeling a little out of place. About the only thing she figured she had in common with these people was the fact that they both had dark skin (Well, theirs was grey, her’s was brown) and black hair.

Not bloody much in common. She adjusted her skirt and top. God she hated those sort of clothing. It was too stiff and formal. But a job interview was a job interview. There was a guy at the bar with bi colored eyes. Well not just the pupals, his whole eye.

Trolls, she decided, were definitely strange. The guy who had let her in when she knocked, was missing a couple teeth, and one of his horns was busted, he’d taken a double take at her that had inwardly made the woman grin widely like a cat in the cream.

Unique knew she looked impressive. She was incredibly tall for a woman, and had spent most her life toning and retoning her muscles until she resembled a carved Greek statue. Well, if it was carved of chocolate anyway.

When she was younger she had thought about going to one of those strong women competitions. But lately, well, it just didn’t seem worth it. She had her body toned until she was corded muscle but still managed to keep a good figure. She had tits, and ass and knew how to swing it.

Definitely proven as she managed to already turn the head of the night club’s bouncer.

Unique sat at the table up on the bar stool, and with her legs crossed she waved the foot around stretching her ankle while her other heel hooked the bar rung. The troll at the bar was just cleaning up glasses and for the most part ignoring her as far as she could see. He had on a set of headphones and there was a computer laptop open on the bar, a multitude of wires loaded through the thing and heading off somewhere under the bar. He kept glancing at it, a frown creasing his brows.

Unique was wondering how much longer she was going to be left waiting for the guy who was meant to interview her. She glanced at her watch as unobtrusively as she could. Straitened the paperwork and looked again at the name she had been told to ask for at the door. Grand Highblood. What sort of weird ass name was that? It was like going into a place and having to ask for ‘Betty Crocker, High Witch of Batter’.

She was just about to go ask how much longer she was going to have to wait when suddenly she was left feeling a bit stunned.

The biggest troll she’d ever seen was stalking down the stairwell from the upper floor of the club. He had a mane of hair that framed his pale features and great cones of horns coming from his head. He had to at least top her by several inches and he had more mass than she had free weights.

Gods, he was absolutely beautiful.

He didn’t move like a giant over muscled jock she was use to seeing of that size. No, he oozed grace and stalked like a tense tiger. This lion stared at her with huge golden eyes centered with such an amazing purple color.

Unique pulled her mind back. Professional. She needed to be utterly professional. Prove she had what it took for the position she’d applied for.

“Well aren’t you a motherfucking powerhouse bitch” the troll suddenly said out of the blue and blew away every ounce of cool Unique had been calling upon.

“Ex-CUSE me? You did NOT just call me a bitch!” every ounce of cultured pattern of speaking she had so carefully cultivated over the years went right out the window and suddenly she sounded like her mother.

The troll at the bar looked up and blinked.

The great looming troll suddenly pulled back and blinked at her as well. For some reason he suddenly didn’t seem quite so, looming.

He waved a large hand at her “Calm your mother fucking tits.” He told her.

She looked like she was about to turn utterly purple with rage. This was NOT how an interview should be conducted! Was this an operation of business or what?

As the troll sat a crossed from her dropping his head onto his palm she realized the paleness of his features was misleading. He actually wore a heavy amount of paint. White paint like he was some sort of clown, only the effect was like a sharp toothed skull painted over his features.

“I will not calm ‘my tits’ as you put it! I came here for a job interview, not to be treated like like…” she trailed off feeling immensely confused as the troll suddenly broke into a huge grin.

And again, he seemed, smaller. What was going on?

“I like you. Not intimidated one bit even when I was using my chucklevoodoos on you. You’ll motherfucking fit in perfect around here. So you’re hired.”

“….wait what?” she suddenly felt very young, very confused, and wondering just what was going on. Chuckle-WHAT?

“Hired. I like people that aren’t easily intimidated. Means you can handle whatever troll throws your motherfucking way around this place. And if you can stand up to me, then there aint’ going to be no motherfucker you can’t handle.”

She knew she was shocked into silence and her jaw was hanging uncomfortably open.

He laughed at her and her jaw closed with a snap and she glared at him.

“Well then, Mr. Grand Highblood. Just what will be my job.”

“Gingo.” He said suddenly, not answering her question.

“Excuse me?”

“My motherfucking name. Gingo Kamadeva. Grand Highblood is a mother fucking title motherfucker.”

She blinked at him multiple times just trying to figure out what was going on. This guy jumped topics so fast she was not keeping up with his gear shifts.

Were all trolls like this?

He waved a hand at her and made a ‘common’ motion “Repeat after me. Gingo Kamadeva,”

“What?”

“I didn’t fucking stutter, Gingo Kamadeva motherfucka”

“Gingo” she started.

“Common, say the rest with me.” He leaned forward.

“Gingo Kamadeva”

“Motherfucka”

“Motherfucka.” She finished and finding herself grinning at this very unusual being before her.

“There, that wasn’t fucking hard now was it?” he said with a toothy sharks grin.

She snorted at him bringing a hand up to cover her grin and he looked pleased for some reason.

This was going to definitely be the most interesting job she had ever been on.

 


	7. 8 and 9

Trillian’s 2

The GHB likes to play jokes. He’s very fond of them. Sometimes too fond..

000

“Here’s your orders motherfucker” Gingo growls out adding a touch of chucklevoodoo just for the effect and hands over the note to his blue blooded bouncer Equius.   
“Oh… OH! Oh yes Grand Highblood. Of course, right away!” the strong troll reached into his pocket and uses his bandanna to wipe his forehead of perspiration and then looks over the note.  
Gingo turns and quickly gets himself around the corner. Snickering he presses himself up against the wall and peeks back towards the other troll.  
“Let’s see here, pick up milk, um… ground lamb, Lysol… double check the mother- What lude language! -booze order. Lick your elbow….what?” adjusts his shades, and after a long moment contiplating the sheet of paper. He looks around himself and then attempts to lick his elbow.  
  
000  
  
Unique steps over her boss who was a curled up giggling mess on the floor and standing over his waist stares down at the silently laughing clown. He was actually crying from holding back his laughter. Which was doing a number on his makeup “What has got you all worked up?”  
Gingo covering his mouth to keep from laughing out loud points around the corner. The woman twists and looks seeing Equius turning in circles as he attempts to lick his own elbow. She saw the note in his hand, which meant that Gingo had likely given him another of his ‘impossible tasks’.   
“You are a fucking bastard you know that?” she glances down at her boss who is banging his fist against the floor. “I’ll go tell Sollux to get the video recorder.”   
Gingo promptly dies.

000

Dabbles 7

Movie Night

000

It was movie night. Karkat was in a bit of a funk because the kids won the draw and got to pick the list for the evening. So not a single one of his ‘romcoms’ ended up on the list.

Sirius was laying behind the couch his head on his paws so that he could watch the tv. On his back Ana and Tav shared a soda. Gamzee had offered Ana one of his Faygos, but she had declined saying she preferred Dr. Pepper.

Hope was still being pouted at as if she was the one at fault for this sacrilege. Admittedly the Peppers were her’s, and she was letting the kids each have one if they wanted it.

Jade as seated on the couch keeping one of the spots open for Karkat, and the other side of her Hope sat, her legs half folded up her toes digging into Gamzee’s shoulders, the larger troll was half curled in on himself in front of her his arms around his own legs seeming half sleepy and content. (when he wasn’t reminded about the faygo dr pepper debate and would pout at Hope again) Feferi was up on the couch between Jade and Hope, Eridan and Eric laid side by side on a throw pillow watching the tv enraptured.

The movie started up. The kids definitely had a theme for the night. Between Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan it was going to be a full evening.

Peter Pan won the toss up, and they had popped in the live action version that was done from the early 2000’s and one of Hope’s favorites. The introduction of Nanna came up and there was a pause around the house.

As suddenly even Karkat poked his head out of the kitchen “Hey Sirius! Guess we’re fucking calling you ‘Nanna’ now!” he cackled getting the bags of popcorn out of the microwave.

Sirius gave a snort and Hope covered her mouth at what she heard.

“What he say?” Jade asked.

“Nothing polite.”

“Karkat is not polite. Seriously.” Jade pointed out.

Hope just shook her head and bit her lips as it seemed Sirius decided to lift his head and stick his nose into her ear. She cracked up and Karkat came out with the popcorn. Hope had her head back laughing. Everyone was staring at her like she lost her mind, except Sirius who was grinning like an evil idiot, and Gamzee who looked like he was going to start purring as the girl was kicking her feet and banging him lightly on the back.

Karkat rolled his eye.

“Oh just spit it fucking out already!” he told her and flopped himself on the couch passing out the bowls of fluffy white stuff.

“He only said that last he checked he didn’t have the credentials to be Nanna other than the two of them sharing body fur. But he commented that if you wouldn’t mind a few … alterations… you are more than welcomed to the position.” She finally managed.

Jade had a feeling this was the heavily edited version of what was said.

Karkat felt like he was going to burst a vessel in his brain. He pointed at the Lusus who just gave a gap jawed grin at him and he could not come up with a retort.

So instead he crossed his arms and growled obscenities for awhile.

Well, until he started watching the movie. It was actually surprisingly deeper than he was expecting. The skillful seduction of the human girl Wendy by the Captain Hook. Peter’s wish to fill one of his Quadrants with Wendy. The little fairy Tinkerbell’s unrequited flushed feelings and her black romance with the girl. He was even with the kids saying “I do believe in Fairies, I do I do!” When Peter was trying to save his little friend after she drank poison for him. Jade and Hope stifled snickers as Hope could feel Gamzee rumbling pleasantly along as well. Whether he was laughing, or actually saying the words too, it was hard to say.

 When the film ended it was Karkat who got up and put in the next one for everyone.

They started out with lost boys, pirates, and childhood coming of age, and ended the night with stuffed animals having funny adventures together. Like Pooh trapping himself in the entrance to his friend’s house because he ate too much honey. When the movie ended the kids were all out enough that Karkat helped Jade and Sirius get the sleeping ones to their beds.

Tavros and Ana had been so snuggled that it was decided to let the pair stay together for the night. Sirius carried them back to his shared room with the little girl.

Hope stretched herself a crossed the couch once it was completely vacated and arched back until she heard something crack in her spine. “I should get to-“ she was cut off as Gamzee suddenly turned and was staring deep into her eyes. So close she could feel the puff of his breath against her skin. She blinked startled just trying to register what he was up to. He moved forward that breath separating them.

And bit her on the nose. “Honk”  he said and got up cackling to himself as he went towards his own room.

Hope laid there a moment and touched her nose making sure it wasn’t like.. bit off or anything. “What the HELL Gamzee?” she shouted and only heard the silly clown’s laugh.

Oh geeze!

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

End of a night at Trillians. Unique was yawning large enough to crack her face in half. She leaned against the bar while Sollux crunched the numbers for her to take up to Gingo’s office. Equius was leaning on the counter next to her reviewing reports. Paperwork stretched out in front. He had a butterfly bandage on his cheek from a scratch he got throwing out a drunk who had not taken ‘leave others alone when they say to’ very well and in the end he had thrown a punch at the bouncer.

Equius had dodged and got the human by his pants and threw him out the back door. Unique had followed with the man’s possessions from the check in and tossed them after. If the guy got himself mugged outside the club it wasn’t their deal.

So Unique had taken care of Equius’ injuries which he said were not a big deal. But it was messy and she didn’t want to end up with his blue blood staining everything because he was wanting to prove he was a tough guy.

Plus he was always sweating so much, she was afraid it would get infected or something.

Jake came over from the coat check with the cash box and numbers from the front and handed those over to the only other human currently working in the establishment. Jake gave a yawn, he looked like a classic white nerd. Though with a distinct British accent. She wasn’t sure if it was legit or not. He didn’t tend to talk much about himself, other than some of his hobbies.

“Well, I’m off then. Get some shut eye.” He waved at them and the others gave a friendly wave back. They all liked Jake. He sometimes got a little silly, but he was a good guy and did a very good job at the front checking IDs. He had a good eye for spotting the faked ones that sometimes came through as local kids tried to sneak into the club.

Gingo didn’t really care, but then he was use to as it was with trolls that their children tended to ‘grow up’ a little faster than human children. By what would be considered 13 or so for humans trolls were already mostly independent and learning their occupations if they didn’t already know them. If they wanted to come into a night club that was their business.

But, they had to go by the law, and since they served alcoholic beverages no one under the age of 21 was allowed inside.

Which Unique also thought was a good thing. Trolls were intense and if some sixteen year old kid wandered in and wasn’t prepared for it, they could find themselves knocked up in a bathroom stall or waking up the next morning in someone’s bed.

Or worse if it ended going ‘black’.

That was a legal battle not even the Grand Highblood wanted to get into. He admitted once that he was actually afraid of the human court system. Troll system he got, and could maneuver around, the human system made absolutely no sense to him.

Of course when he tried explaining the troll system to a curious Unique she was the one left feeling a bit over her head. And just stared at him with huge eyes as she tried to comprehend such a convoluted system of feudal law and controlled chaos. Sollux told her it wasn’t that bad but close enough.

Equius bumped her shoulder and she blinked at the strong troll. The bump had been enough to half knock her from her seat though she could tell by the rising color in his cheeks that was not what he had intended. She just stuck her tongue out at him and took the papers he had double checking his addition. It looked like it was lining up “thanks, Go get yourself some sleep.” She told him with a smile.

He pulled a bandana he kept in his pocket and wiped off his forehead. “Yes uh.. Ma’am” he responded, his voice was so soft, as if he was trying to make up for the fact he could break glass with a wrong twitch of his fingers. She waved as he left and then went to staring intently at Sollux.

Who gave her an irritated look “Seriously. Do you have to do that?” he had a bit of a lisp, and it only made the other woman smile widely.

The hacker growled something that sounded incredibly rude, but he got his numbers crunched and printing it out he handed her the pages from under the register, and then set to counting the cashbox money and putting that into the small safe that was under the register as well.

The human straitened up the pages and just ran a fast eye over all the numbers making sure they are least lined up right.

It had been interesting since she had taken the job at the club. She started helping Equius, then one night when Sollux had been swamped with orders and unable to keep up she jumped in with at least some of the simple orders. The hacker turned bartender had been appreciative. He taught her how to mix drinks and then she started to help him when things were incredibly busy.

Then the Grand Highblood decided that at the end of the night she could bring him the paperwork. It made her hours longer as she had to sit there while he went back over the numbers again. Half the time she would fall to sleep during the surprisingly comfortable silence. Leaning against the back of a chair she straddled and came to when he would shake her shoulder. Then they would lock up and the first rays of the sun breaking the horizon she would finally get home and crawl into her bed for a few hours. Then it was back to the club the next afternoon to start the pre-opening and after that she started it all over again.

Unique still wasn’t sure what her job title was, no one had an answer past a shrug. She at least knew the pay was excellent even if she had of yet not gotten hardly more than a day or two off since she started several months ago. She really was going to have to have a talk with her boss about that. She had needed the money honestly. She had bills to pay and a school loan to pay off, and the pay she’d gotten had gone a long way to doing that much for her. Plus she was able to get herself some nicer clothing and things too.

Sollux finished his work and with a simple ‘Later’ he headed off. She locked the door behind him and headed up the stairs to the Highblood’s office. He was inside at his desk. It was a heafty piece of furniture, had to be, he was a pretty big guy, and anything more ‘normal’ sized would be dwarfed by him.

He glanced up when she came in and the black woman blinked a few times. Did she just hear a… purr? He had given some sort of rumbling purr when she walked in. Seeming very pleased to see her. She felt the air was a little oppressive as well. Great, he was in one of his odd moods. She rolled her eyes and came over dropping the paperwork with a mock salute. “Here you go hun. The numbers are looking pretty good tonight.”

He got up from his chair and loomed.

Oh yeah, he was in a mood. She had over the last few months gotten a good idea what his so called ‘chucklevoodoo’ was. It seemed to be some sort of alien intimidation tactic.

Only it so did not intimidate her. No, it was definitely impressive….

She kept her eyes as strait ahead as she could manage even as she felt her cheeks flush. Never was she so glad of being black as moments like this. It was often difficult to tell when a black person was blushing unless you knew what to look for.

He turned and grabbing the papers didn’t even bother looking at them, just tucked them away. Unique frowned, her brows locking together. “Aren’t you going to check those?” she asked him.

He turned back towards her with a wide smile “You are always so careful, shouldn’t I motherfucking be able to trust you?”

She blinked up at him feeling as if he was suddenly so much well... bigger.

Her stomach did a series of flips and butterflies tickled around inside. She gulped “Well, you know, better safe and all that. I might have missed something.”

“I’ll check them later.” He waved her off on that and then leaned forward. She hardly had time to do more than jump slightly at the sudden bang of his hands on the desk before she was staring deeply into his amused gaze.

“Er.. Sir..” she started, and never got further than that.

Did she ever mention that trolls tended to move fast when they made up their minds about someone? Yeah, she found a hand wrapped around the back of her head, keeping her firmly in place while he boss locked lips with her and she got a taste of those chucklevoodoos up close and personal.

Oh very _very_ **very** personal. She did not know when her hands came up, but they did, gripping that beautiful hair in her chocolate hands.

She felt like she was singing right down to her bones as he deepened that kiss and practically pulled her over his desk, she crawling very eagerly into his lap, just so he wouldn’t break that kiss. Which turned into a series of kisses.

000

Unique was laying on her belly feeling a claw draw interesting patterns along her spine. She gave a little growl when she heard the bastard chuckle.

“You have the most motherfucking interesting reaction to the chucklevoodoos.” He told her.

She turned and gave him a glare “You know you cheat.”

He laughed. He looked so different without his makeup and she could see the map of scars a crossed his body. The woman had never made it back to her own home that morning. Sleeping with her boss had definitely not been on her list of things to do. Although as of yet had not gotten any sleep.

He wouldn’t let her.

She was about to bust his balls if it meant she could get fifteen minutes of shut eye.

His larger hand spread itself comfortably against her back as if he was memorizing every contour, every line and ever corded muscle. He wasn’t looming so at least he’d ‘turned off’ that little thing of his. Even Unique didn’t know why she reacted the way she did when he did that thing. It was like instead of hitting her fear it hit everything she found sexy and attractive in a man.

She had to admit, even without those chucklevoodoo things, he looked good.

She just wanted to fucking sleep though! She gave a yawn and curled herself around the stolen pillow and he chuckled as he wrapped arms around her and snuggled himself around her.

He gave that odd little pleased rumbling sound. Which seemed at the moment the best lullaby she had ever heard.

 


	9. Trillians Dabble files 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is still among the bits that take place right before the start of the story

Trillians Dabble files 3

Sollux paused as he was cleaning up mess behind the bar. He still had his numbers to crunch for the night but it had been a good night. The club had been full (Some woman’s bacholette party had the place full of chicks. For once there had been more human’s than trolls in the place)Sollux hadn’t really gotten the idea of a party like that, but Unique managed to explain it to him. Just part of the traditions for humans forming their matespriteships. Trolls had it easier. They didn’t bother with contracts. A pair just got together and it either worked, or if it didn’t work they could go their own ways. 

Sollux looked up from what he’d been doing and stared crossed the dance floor. There was a figure prone on one of the padded benches along the side of the room. Little dividers between tables and a long row of benches along the wall with chairs on the other side for people to sit if they wished.

He walked around his bar and over to see what was over there. Perhaps it was just a forgotten bag or jacket.

He sighed when he found it was a forgotten human, likely got drunk and passed out so missed last call.

He reached down and touched the figure then nearly drew his hand back. Humans tended to run warmer than trolls in general, but this human felt like a furnace. 

“Hey,” he said and shook her shoulder. She was an absolutely tiny thing. Practically all skin and bones. He felt his lip curl in disgust, more of this human nonsense with obsession with being ‘thin’ he figured. Then he paused. No, this… was a kid. She was all angles and unfinished joints. 

How the HELL did a kid get past Jake? 

“JAKE!” he shouted the British man poked his head out from around the front coat check and blinked.

Sollux pointed down at the figure “We got a fucking kid here, she can’t be more than 14, how the HELL did she get past you?” he was feeling so angry he didn’t even bother trying to cover for his lisp, making it worse than normal. 

Jake came over and frowned “I did not see that child.” He said and then knelt down next to her. She hardly reacted past staring sleepily at the pair. He reached out and touched her. Then his hand went to touching the side of her face, forehead and back of her neck “Lord, this child is sick!” he said taking off his jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders.

Sollux rubbed his face “Still doesn’t tell us how she got in here.” He said and with a growl he headed up to the office to get the Highblood. 

Equius and Unique were both there talking with the Grand Highblood about something. With the smirk on the black woman’s face, the matching grin from the Highblood and how sweaty Equius was, they were likely teasing the poor troll. 

“If you three are done with your sick sexual work fetishes, we got an issue on the main floor.” Was all he said turning around and matching out of the office.

Unique traded a glance with Gingo and then all three followed the psionic. 

Jake was sitting at the booth and holding the child, who was coughing and shivering. Even as her hair was slick from sweat. 

“What the motherfuck?” Gingo managed to eliquate for all of them.

“I think we need to call an ambulance.” Jake was saying to them stroking back the little girl’s hair. “She’s really sick.”

Unique began to coo and went over to pick the child up from the other human and snuggle her close. A tiny pale form of alabaster skin and pale hair. 

Equius suddenly slapped a fist into one palm “She was here with a woman that looked like her.” Pointed “The tall blond that I had to throw out after she tried to get behind the bar.”

“Oh gods! I remember that woman.” Sollux said rubbing his temples. Yeah after being reminded of the slush he could see the similarities.

“They must have snuck in with the party group.” Jake said running his hand through his hair. This was a mess. But Unique was utterly smitten with the little girl, which had the highblood looking at the pair with a contemplative grin. He poked Sollux, who poked Equius. Who took a double take.

“Sir, remember that this child likely already has a guardian….” The blue blood tried to remind his boss.

Who blinked at the three males and rolled his eyes “Oh fuck off.” he told them.  

“Why would someone take a sick child to a night club rather than staying home?” Unique asked she was taking the child up to the Highblood’s office to find a blanket to wrap her in “What’s your name sweetie?” they heard her asking as she went up the stair.

“rose…” 

Highblood hummed to himself and pointed to the other three “Call for an ambulance, I’m going to look around.” He told them and went off to check the building. 

Jake pulled out his phone and was already calling for help. 

Gingo didn’t see anything inside, all was clear, but when he poked his head outside he saw a skinny blond woman. She was seated against the building, and looked like she was passed out. His nosed twitched in irritation “The motherfucking girl belongs to you doesn’t she?” he replied crouching down to get a better look at this woman. She was likely pretty by human standards anyway. Blond hair, nice eyes. But she was also too thin and obviously a drunk with issues. 

“My little sister.” She started.

“Who is very sick.” Gingo told the woman, rumbling a growl. It been awhile since something so utterly pathetic crossed his path that all he wanted to do was snap out his hand and snap that pathetic neck. “An ambulance will be here soon for her. You can go with her, or leave these premisises. Either way.” He reached out and took hold of the woman’s front and pulled her very close so that she had a very good view of his very pointed teeth “I will motherfucking gut you and no one will find the body if you ever motherfucking step foot near my establishment again bitch.” He loomed. The air was oppressive around him.

And she looked suddenly very sober and very frightened. 

He dropped her like she was something wholly disgusting to him. The human would either grow and become stronger from this, or she would sink herself into a cesspool of more self pity. 

Either way, he didn’t care for whatever reasons she became a drunk. His only concern was getting her and the walking legal situation upstairs in his office AWAY from his property. 

But, he had found it cute how Unique took to the child. Rather made him wish he could give her a little wiggler of her own. She’d spoken often of her family. Several brothers and sisters. Her parents who raised and spoiled them rotten, their cousin who got drug into the family and never left. They sounded like a fun lot. It was too bad that currently they were too far away to be able to let her see them more often. But they were over in Georgia and they were located another state or two over. 

So he went back inside as Jake was hanging up the phone.

“Ambulance is on its way.”

He gave a nod and everyone noticed how dark the air around him seemed. All three looked a little uneasy “I’ll fucking disappear when they get here.” He told them “The little brat’s sister is outside.” He added.

The three looked at each other and he marched on back to one of the storerooms. He couldn’t go up to his office. Unique was there and with as mad as he was, he wasn’t fully turning off his chucklevoodoos, and with the way she reacted to them, THAT could get a little awkward. For both of them. 

So instead he was checking inventory. Destroying half of it, but it got the urge to toss that waist of air into the river. 

000

It was later, the child and her ‘guardian’ were off  to the hospital. The poor little girl’s fever had gotten worse. Unique hoped the child would be alright. She felt a little badly. The woman that was with her looked shaken up. Before anyone could try and explain things that frankly would have cause more trouble for the club, Unique just told them that they showed up at their door needing a phone. Leaving out most the details. Yeah, it also gave the woman more credence than nessisary btu at the same time, none of them needed to have police poking their noses into the club because a minor got in. And seemed to have been given a drink, likely by her sister, but this way any alcohol in her system will be from outside sources, and not their establishment. 

Lesser of two evils. She made the call. So she stuck with it. Once they were gone she sighed and rubbed her face. She was tired. “Guys, it’s really late right now. Why don’t you all go home, get some sleep, and me and Gingo will take care of the numbers for the night.” She said to them

They looked at each other “We can do it.” Jake started.

She held up a hand “Orders. Follow them.” She glanced back behind her when she heard something crash in the back room “Besides it will be easier to calm him down if no one is here.”

This made the other three realize what she was getting at. And a retreat was made.

Sollux though took her spare key “I’ll lock up on the way out, and show up early to make sure we don’t have to hide your body.”

She gave him a lopsided grin “Love you too.” 

He just flipped her off and walked out of the club. 

She took a breath and went to go calm down the boss.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Trillians Dabbles

Mature warnings

That Voodoo You Do

000

Unique slipped quietly into the storage room and reached for the light switch. She flipped it and found that it did not work.

Great, he took out the bulb. She sighed keeping the door open so she could see.

There was a tingle over her skin, as if suddenly the area right around her got, more tense. She found herself taking a long breath to keep herself from shivering in reaction. Oh, it was not a fear reaction it was one of utter delight.

She had to focus.

There was a low rumble behind her and the door slammed shut.

Oh … Fuck…

“Gingo…” she started but there was a sudden rush and she found herself practically flying through the air. A single hand holding her by her middle and when she stopped it was pressed up against cardboard boxes, she could hear something crack and feel dampness against her back. She just hoped that wasn’t that case of sake. The shit was expensive and had to be imported, plus customs and, this room was going to be such a headache when they assessed the damage.

He was pressed up against her. Rumbling dangerously in a way that just hit her in all the right places. The woman shuddered and reached up, fingers moving through his hair to touch his face. She ran her fingers over his cheekbones, smearing makeup.

He rumbled and the oppressive feeling faded slowly. She managed to take a real breath after that. Her head falling forward and she felt him press his lips against her forehead.

She relaxed. “Feeling better?” she asked him

She felt his hand slip down and under her backside. Suddenly she was lifted up and with a shift sound herself on her back.

“Will be soon.” He murmured into her frizzy hair.

Another ‘oh fuck’ went through her mind but when his lips closed over her’s she forgot about the closing, the inventory, or the fact that the floor was soaking under her. The chucklevoodoos were singing and she arched under his larger form. She heard a rip and felt a sudden cool air against her front. He’d opened her shirt and she was about to bitch at him about it until needle sharp teeth closed over her nipple. His tongue rolling over the flesh.  He trailed down her form, cooler tongue against heated flesh and teeth leaving small bites, many drawing blood that he then just laved up like a large purring cat.

The black woman was about to scream at him to stop if he kept raising those damn chuckles, because she was about to lose her mind and he’d hardly touched her.

He got to her pants and then she could see the glow of his eyes in the darkness. “Wha-… WAIT!” and her pants were utterly shredded. Far as she could see, no one could shred clothing like a Troll.

“That was my favorite pair!” she complained.

All she got in return was enough of his voodoo to make her see stars. By the time she could even remember how to breath he had worked his way back up to her lips. Leaning over her he brought his knees under her backside and lifted her up so that she had to wrap her legs around his waist. Her hands came up to grip his horns.

He rumbled pleasurably as she felt him against her.

And again enough of his voodoos to made her see stars.

Yeah, he was so in a mood. And taking her along for the ride of her life.

000

Sollux came back to the club, it was still early in the afternoon, and he traded out his usual bi-specs for a darker set of shades against the afternoon sun. As he unlocked the club and entered he looked around. Everything seemed in place. No messes, no bloody paintings on the wall (which was an honest fear.)

He sighed though when he took notice that absolutely nothing had been done either. He gave a frustrated sigh and went about gathering the numbers and getting all the nightly closing stuff done. By himself. Then with all of that together in a nice neat pile he checked out the storeroom.

Staring through the open door at the darkened room he groaned “Oh fuck me, he didn’t leave a single thing unbroken!” he said and put a note on the door for someone to clean up and take inventory for waist stock. With all his current info he headed up the stair to the office to drop it on the table for the boss to look over later.

When he opened the door he looked up suddenly at a growl. Blinking he found himself focusing on the desk, were the highblood was seated his feet up on the desktop and chair back, who basically at the moment was clothed in nothing but the dark chocolate of Unique, the human curled up on her side against him sound asleep.

“God damn!” came out before he could stop himself.

The Grand Highblood held a finger up to his lips and blew a soft “shhhh” his grin was needle sharp and wide “You’ll wake her.” He stroked back her hair, and Sollux could notice that the hair band the woman usually wore was missing, because it was tied around her wrists.

His mind decided to shut off at that point. Images of her and THAT GUY together… That was just wrong, it was like those human jokes of walking in on their guardians while they were engaged in pailing activities.

“Before you go screaming out of here kid” the highblood said with a dark chuckle “How about heading to my place and grab us both a change?” he rumbled to very reasonably, tossing a set of keys at the other. Energy caught them in the air before they could hit him and he reached up, took hold of them, Held out his other hand where he had the papers, dropped those on the floor with a thump and turned around.

Sollux was out of there so fast. When he got to his car he sat a moment and rubbed the base of his horns, “I need brain bleach” he said softly to himself.

This was going to be a VERY long day.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> takes place towards the end of Relearning to Breathe

Dabble

A Cat’s Laugh

000

Gamzee stalked slowly around the side of the house. Hands pressed flat to the wood as he inched his way silently. Dressed down to just his loose bottoms and a wife beater tank he spread his toes out to give himself more purchase on the ground.  He glanced to the side and saw that Karkat was making his way around the other side of the building, and a look up proved that Sirius was also in place, crouched over the roof ready to pounce.

Silently the tall troll counted and heard the voice of Jade call out from the back “Ana, it’s time for your bath.”

The girl gave a cry of ‘no!’ and tried to dash around the side of the house. It was the side that Karkat was waiting, and the little girl flipped herself around with the nimble speedy grace of a dyslexic kitten and managed to get herself righted enough to go tearing off to the other side. Were Gamzee and Sirius lay in wait.

As she cleared the corner between the house and the parking garage she ran right into Gamzee. Who reached down to make a grab at her. She barely dodged his grip and half hooking her claws into the wall of the house she started to throw herself backwards away from Gamzee.

And right into the waiting jaws of her Lusus who dropped down from the roof above.

When Karkat caught up to them he saw Gamzee standing hands on hips and Sirius standing with the child screeching and flailing about his in jaws. Looking very much like a disgruntled pawbeast.

“I thought she was an Indigo?” Karkat said “She acts more like the olive greens.”

Gamzee laughed “Yes, definitely” he agreed “Feral little thing. Well lets get her water logged.” He patted his friend’s shoulder and headed into the house. Sirius went along behind proudly waving his tail like a banner as he kept hold of the struggling child.

Everyone could hear her shrieks as they actually got her into the tub. It took a juggelo and a full size lusus to keep her IN the bath as well as just the bathroom. One just sitting on her while the other scrubbed. And still the little girl managed to draw blood.

Hope was later bandaging a scratch on Gamzee’s face were he got caught by a nail “There has got to be an easier way.” She said with an amused sigh.

“We could just hit her with the water hose.” He suggested.

“Tempting.”

“She’ll grow out of it.” Karkat said as he held the first aid box. Little Ana was playing Wii with the other children, and no one could tell that only minutes ago she was screaming death and destruction upon the household.

Gamzee rolled his eyes “one motherfucking hopes so.”

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still in Relearning to Breathe. When Feferi accidentally tore Ana's toy

Dabblefic

Forgiveness

000

Ana sat her head down and hugging tight the torn plush. Stupid waterdweller! Feferi had lots of toys, why did she have to go destroy Ana’s?

She huddled against her Lusus who sighed and was being tolerant of the child’s tantrum. He nuzzled her whenever she looked like she might fly into another rage. Using his powers to calm her before she could get destructive to either herself or her environ.

Gamzee came down into the room. He looked a little tired, and a bit irritated. But he managed a smile for the girl when he popped into her space. For a darkened basement room she managed to make it bright as daylight. The walls covered in the brightest skyblue she could managed and covered in pieces of paper full of drawings. Most of them were Tavros’ creations although a few belonged to some of the others and a couple were Ana’s own attempts. Gamzee found himself smiling at the utter whimsy of the room.

She watched him as he ambled his way over to her and flopped himself down on the floor next to him.

“You smell like blood.” She said softly.

Gamzee sighed and reached over rubbing her head near the base of her horns. She crawled into his lap. “I had to work today.”

“Culling?”

“Not, quite” he responded. He hadn’t talked about it with the others really, but there was issues trying to locate some factions of trolls who were causing trouble. The interrogations sometimes got messy. This was troll justice system, not human, and if the humans knew about the room at Trillians and the painted walls.

Or that not all the blood covering it was troll these days either.

They were finding out some disturbing things as of late. Gamzee was irritated most all the time now. Thinking about how this would change things.

How that some would try and take his Hope from him.

He would kill them first.

But for now he had a child with a torn bunny. “Lets see the damage” he said holding out his hand.

She hesitantly put her bunny into his hand and he looked it over. Messy but a clean break along the seams. “Right, we can fix this.” He told her and she seemed to brighten.

“Just a second” he got back up using Sirius to lever himself to his feet and went to the laundry. Jade kept a sewing kit in her laundry since the children were prone to punching weird holes in their clothing all the time. So she’d seal up the easy to fix ones, and a sewing machine upstairs would be used for the less easy to repair.

He found the kit and came back “Lets pick a color right?” he said and flopped down taking the child into his lap and letting her pick the color. He expected her to go for the blue one, she was obsessed over that color, but instead she grabbed a deep royal purple.

“It’s your color!” she said grinning up at him.

He gave her a grin back “Right, now I’ll help you out, but you gotta fix it.” He said.

“Alright.”

And so Gamzee helped the child sew up her doll. It was a messy job, threads showed in harsh lines against the soft white and pink of the toy. But she seemed pleased with the end result. During their sewing he would rumble and managed to get her talking about her feelings. Focused as she was on trying to make her stitches look ‘nice’. She was angry. She wanted to hurt the one who hurt her, but at the same time Feferi’s higher blood caste was stopping her.

“At the same time, it was an accident. I’m sure Eric will make Feferi feel all guilty about it.”

“I want her to pay.” Ana hissed.

“Oh? And then what? She makes you pay and you make her pay and in the end you both loose something precious to you. How would you make her pay? Take away a toy? Her favorite toy is Eric you know. And likely Eridan. Would you hurt them to hurt her?”

Ana paused and her hands started to shake.

Gamzee wrapped his arms around her and said softly “Caste doesn’t matter in the end. We are all just trolls and we mess up. Sometimes, while you can’t always forget, you just have to try and do something else. Try not to focus so much on the revenge. Revenge is why I keep coming home smelling of blood.” He told her.

“… you smell like human blood.”

He sighed “Yes.”

“Who were they?”

“People who wanted to hurt us here. They would have hurt you, and Tavros and Hope and everyone else, just to get to Feferi.”

The child was silent. “Did you make them pay?”

“No.” he said “I murdered them.” He said softly to her.

“But you said they would have hurt us.”

“But they hadn’t. We got information out of them then killed them. We are trying to find the one who is causing this whole mess to start with. HIM we will make pay. Not just for what he wishes to do to us, but for every single one of those humans and trolls who died because of what he did.”

The child finished putting in her stitches and he reached over to help her tie it off. She looked at the doll and then seemed to reach a conclusion. He noticed that Sirius kept a nose on her foot, so he had likely been communicating with her as well.

“But.. if he thinks he is making us pay?” she said softly.

“Yes.” Gamzee felt proud that she was finally getting the idea.

“Then, it is a cycle.”

“Yes it is.”

“How do we stop the cycle?”

“By not making them pay for something that can be fix.” He told her.

She looked at her bunny. Touching the stitches with her fingers. She looked up at him and turned to give him a hug.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered.

“Its ok wiggler.” He hugged her back. “Forgiveness isn’t a lesson we get taught easily.”

“Tav knows it.” She said softly.

“Tavros is a special pupa, he’s got Hope.”

“I like Hope.”

“We all do. Feeling better?”

“Yeah. I still don’t like Feferi though. But I won’t make her pay.”

“Good, now if she tries to be nice, don’t just go shooting her down. Give her a chance. She’s a good sort too inside. AND she’s your Empress. Means when you get older you will be the one to protect her.”

“But, she’s got Eric and Eridan.”

“But you are a juggelette. It’s our job to be the guard dogs for the Empress.”

She made a face “Do I have to smell like blood then?”

“No, you could go and smell like whatever you decided to roll in.” he responded.

She giggled “Oh! I know! I found this…”

He put his hand over her mouth “I don’t want to know. Seriously. I do not want to know.”

The girl burst into giggles and he figured for now, she was going to be ok.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Around Still Breathing

Dabble

A Day of Thanks

000

Hope stared at the calendar. Had it been that long already?

Over a year since she met Karkat and Gamzee, gained herself a grub and a new status as a Lusus.

So much had happened. Near wars, unadmitted wars, Orphaner and others. The Mothergrubs and the loss of the Egg Hive as well as the building of the new one.

So much. So much bad, and so very much more good.

Getting up she managed to eel herself out of bed without disturbing Gamzee, who was currently taking up a bulk of the space in his spawled mass of limbs and horns. With the way he was all turned around and poking out from under the covers she wondered if he had somehow achieved rearranging his entire form. What with one foot poking out the bottom, along with an arm, and his horns up towards the top and another foot and arm and who knows what somewhere else.

She shook her head and after a visit to the restroom she went upstairs. Karkat was talking about turning her room into an office, she didn’t blame him. He got little peace in the kitchen when he worked from home and she herself was pretty much never in her own bed. When was the last time? Oh yes, well over a month ago. Tavros was having nightmares and after she got him settled she crawled into her own bed.

Well she didn’t wake up there. Gamzee managed to get her down to his room without waking her. Possessive ass. She sighed and basically mentally gave into the fact she was very likely never sleeping alone for as long as she lived if he had his way about it.

Going up the stairs she poked her head through the door connecting the two sides and saw Jade sipping coffee while cleaning one of her guns. “Hey, anyone else awake?”

“Nope, seems to be only you and me for the moment. But it won’t be long before the kids are up, followed by the rest of the adults.” She said cheerfully putting her gun back together with practiced ease.

“You know what day it is?”

Jade paused and then blinked, “Oh my! Since we started homeschooling the kids I completely let it slip my mind! It’s Thanksgiving!”

“So, why don’t you and I get busy in the kitchen? I don’t think we got a turkey, but I do know we have a ham.” Hope grinned.

“OH! I can make rolls! And we DO have a pack of pumpkins from taking the kids down to the local patch. Gotta do something with them before they start rotting.”

“Exactly!”

Grinning the two women were aflutter in the kitchen gathering items and beginning preparations for a spur of the moment thanksgiving.

000

Gamzee came up and found the kids seated outside all with hot bowls of oatmeal and munching away with varying degrees of enthusiasm for the raisin and nut filled cereal.

He saw Jade and Hope preparing and in various stages of food prepreation. Scratching the base of his horn he blinked sleepily. Hope saw him and next he knew he was seated out with the kids with a bowl of oats as well.

“…motherfuck?” he was still trying to figure out how he went from standing in the kitchen wondering what was going on, to being seated at the patio table on a chilly morning with warm sun shining down upon them.

“She did the same to us.” Eridan assured him and offered the milk. Ana pushed over the sugar bowl and with a sigh he added sugar and milk as well as a liberal dash of cinnamon to his breakfast.

A few moments later he was passing the same items over to Karkat who looked too stunned to even curse as Hope made him sit and plopped a big bowl of hot oats  in front of him too.

“The food’s good” Gamzee offered.

Karkat just blinked at him and then stared back over his shoulder at the women laughing as Jade prepared a ham for the oven and Hope was on a step stool going through canned goods in the upper pantry space.

“What are they up to?” Karkat asked.

“Fuck me if I know.” Gamzee shrugged.

“Its Thanksgiving.” Eric was the one to offer.

All the trolls turned their attention to the boy.

Who blinked at them “Um.. Well it’s a holiday in the USA, I know other countries have it different days. I think the Canadian’s have it before Halloween, but we have lots of food and eat together and be like, grateful for the good things that have happened.” He said “Mostly, we just pig out and watch TV.” The boy laughed. “I know in school last year they talked about all this stuff about pilgrams and whatnot. My Mom said it is a nice story, but the truth of this holiday is because after a really bad war, our country needed something to help bring them back together. So our President at that time Mr Lincoln, decided to pick a day for everyone to be happy they were alive and to celebrate together. And thus the third Thursday of the month of November was picked. I think that is a better story than the pilgrims and stuff.”

“Huh…” Gamzee said and Karkat frowned into his food his spoon in his mouth.

“Well… I’m Grateful everyday that I got to have Momma Hope as my Lusus.” Tavros said suddenly.

“That you are my best friend.” Ana grinned and gave a blushing Tav a hug and ruffled his hair.

“That you guys let me stay with you.” Eridan offered.

“That Ana forgave me for tearing her bunny.” Feferi said. Ana blinked at her a moment then offered a huge smile. The other girl perked and grinned right back.

“I am glad we all lived. I was really scared.” Eric admitted.  Eridan bumped his arm with a grin and a quick “like I’d let you die.” And Feferi just hugged the boy from the other side.

The children all looked towards the other adults.

Eridan’s Lusus dove into the pool with an obvious ‘leave me out of this’. Serious just gave a snort and put his nose into Karkat’s back, who jumped and glared at the Lusus. Serious’ jaw opened in a dog like laugh.

“Motherfucking.. Happy.. I got all you.” Gamzee said and the kids all gave him happy grins. He smirked and went back to his own food.

Karkat paused and looked around. He was silent for a long moment then just shrugged “I guess I’m just happy I still got my fucking job.” He finally said.

Everyone wrinkled their noses at him and made rude sounds. This started a merry argument at the table while everyone finished eating.

000

Tavros brought the empty bowls into the kitchen, the rest had gone to play by the river for awhile.

“Hey,” he said to Jade who was kneading dough on the counter. He stacked the bowls into the dishwasher which had recently been emptied.

“What’s up Kiddo?” the dark haired woman pushed back a bit of hair and left a smear of flour a crossed her nose.

“Everyone was saying what they were grateful about after Eric told us what today was. What are you grateful about?” he asked.

Jade thought a moment “That all you kids are still alive.” She said “Hell that we all are still alive.” Her grin was wide “it’s been a bit of a nutty year, and sure felt longer.”

Tav grinned and then paused “Wonder what Mom is grateful for?”

“Well why don’t you ask her? She’s just changing over some laundry.”

Thinking about it Tav trotted down the stair and found Hope sitting on the washing machine, looking lost in thought. Nothing was running at the moment. As he got close he could hear a slight hum. She must have been talking to the mothergrub then. He decided. He waited a moment to see if she would notice him.

She blinked and smiled at him “hey there.” And hopping off the washing machine she held out her arms and gave Tav a big hug. “How we doing today?”

“Ok, Eric told us what today was.”

She grinned “It nearly slipped right past us, it’s been a busy year.”

He nodded “So, what are you grateful for?” he asked her. “Everyone else said.”

She knelt and smiled at him “That I met all of you. My world was a very small and lonely place before you all marched yourselves into it.” And she kissed his forehead.

The young troll grinned and hugged her back tightly. Then he trotted up the stair. Going to go out and catch up with the others down by the river.

Hope grinned watching him go. He was going to be such a special troll when he grew up.

She just had to make sure he did.

Turning on the washing machine she went back up to help Jade with the last of the preparations and massive cooking.

Wasn’t going to be a full out traditional feast, but well, they were definitely not a traditional family.

And that, was OK.

It was another thing to be grateful for. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will have taken place near the end/after Still Breathing

Dabble

First Times

Rated mature.. VERY mature for very good reason. Sexual themes and descriptions below.

000

Hope wasn’t sure how the change in position came about. She had been stretched out on her bed in her own room when Gamzee stalked in. Eyes closed she’d been half lost in her own little dreambubble with her headphone’s on and listening to her mp3 player.

Then she found herself jarred back into reality when Gamzee about stole her breath with a kiss.

She’d gotten use to his ways, and knew if she asked him to, he would stop. So the tingling sensation in the pit of her belly was not unwelcomed. He was still in his uniform which meant he’d just gotten back from helping the Highblood and something that happened there must have set him off.

Far as she knew no one else was around. Jade had taken the kids camping for the weekend (Eridan had been the loudest about how much he had not wanted to go spend his time being mosquito bait.) Karkat was down at the Hive. He had a new position as overseer of the hiving being built. His old office position went to that copper blood with the impressive wings and horns. He had the place running like clockwork and had increased costumer as well as employee loyalty. Seemed he use to belong to a military order before taking the desk job.

But it had meant that for the time Hope had the house to herself. She’d cleaned then debated watching a movie. Instead she had gone to her room and relaxed with music letting her mind wander without losing herself. She could still hear the songs of the other two mothergrubs in her head. They were never far from her anymore, the three of them wondered if this connection might even hold over after they died. Perhaps all staying together in the same dream bubble that was the troll’s idea of an afterlife.

Before she had thought to visit them she was brought into the now of Gamzee’s hands and lips.

Then she found herself in her current position. Straddling his hips one of his hands holding onto hers and the other hand holding her chin as his lips were locked with hers.

She wiggled a bit and heard him rumble in that sort of purring way that trolls did when pleased.  He’d turned his attention to the spot under her chin that usually got her to make noise. Biting her lip she thought a moment and rocked her hips up against the bulge in his pants. Feeling it more acutely than usual as  it wriggled in the confines of fabric the spreading wetness.

He was the one that tossed his head back and hissed. The way his eyes rolled back  made her think this was a good hiss.

So she shifted and tried it again. His bulge about bucked in response and Gamzee’s other hand grabbed her free hand shifting her balance she could lean back a bit and brace against his arms. His fingers interlocked with her own.

“motherfuck!” he gasped and she felt herself grinning impishly. She was feeling more forward, maybe it was the position, the allowed dominance. Or just knowing no one was going to walk in on them accidently or just she finally began to feel comfortable enough. The idea of going further with an alien just didn’t seem so alien anymore.

She rotated her hips grinding a little against him. Rather liking the feel that even through their clothing she could feel how he’d fit and it didn’t seem so bad.

“Hope..” Gamzee gasped  “keep this up and I don’t know if I could stop.” He said, giving her the out. The chance to say ‘ok that’s enough’ now .

She glanced down and saw part of his bulge wiggling above his pant line. His top scrunched up from their activities.

She took back one of her hands and notice him starting to relax as if he thought she was done.

Instead she saw his eyes wide hugely with a hiss as she trailed her fingers over his clothed bulge and then let the tip curl around her fingers.

She gave him a bit of a smile before reaching down with her other hand to undo his pants. Backing up a moment at the almost aggressive attack as his bulge curled itself around her hand pulling her closer and down. Until her fingers could feel the slit behind the bulge. It was narrow but a familiar shape and her fingers shifted and explored. Gamzee arched up in a manner that told her clearly he was liking this new development. She used her other hand to hold back the bulge (once she got the idea she wasn’t going to hurt him easily) so that it wouldn’t cut the circulation from her wrist and let her fingers seek out spots that got the most interesting reactions.

Hope was blushing horribly at her forwardness, but it didn’t feel bad, it was kind of fun really.

She just, felt comfortable enough to try. Gamzee wasn’t going anywhere. He made that clear, he was here for the long haul.

She’d never really gotten far with anyone she tried in the past. Mostly just make outs and a little petting, so this was still all very new in a way, made newer by the big differences in anatomy.

She was startled out of her thoughts and found herself looking up with deer in the head lights eyes as Gamzee shifted and grabbed her hands, pulling them up and away. She relaxed a bit when she saw him panting heavily.

“Fuck Hope.” He said and sat up “much longer and we won’t get much further if you keep that up.” He said bringing her fingers to his mouth. His long grayish purple tongue wrapping around the fingers coated in his pre-material.

Her blushing grew as she watched him.  As he cleaned the digits with slow deliberation, a rumbling purr that struck through her pulse as his lips closed over her wrists and sent tingles up her arms that all seemed to find their way right to her belly.

He pulled her closer and his heavy lidded eyes locked onto hers he reached down undoing her shorts and slipping a hand down, she shivered as his fingers crawled a crossed her belly then down further. Wrapping his other arm around her he pulled her close as his long fingers explored her as her own explored him. His though were much longer and delved deeper. There was a minor bit of discomfort, but not bad and it passed quickly. It was quite a bit different than the times she’d play with herself, the sensation was much more focused and he ran his thumb along the outside as his fingers scissored inside her.

Hope gasped and buried her face against his neck as his thumb found her nub. He kept working that area as he felt her shiver and squirm. His grin growing wider as he made her dance for him. His bulge twisting along his belly as it sought more.  But he kept his fingers working until he felt her legs shaking like jelly and her breath hardly more than fast panting hot against his cooler flesh.

His fingers slick with her own fluids he shifted. Pushing off her shorts and then leaning back until she was straddled him once more.

Hope paused and looked at Gamzee who just pulled her down for a kiss. He’d let her set how fast she wanted to take this, but he really hoped at this point she didn’t change her mind.

The start of rocking her hips, similar to what started all this, but without the separation of clothing put hope in him.

Hope bit her lip as she felt his slick cooler member rub against her, the length curling against her belly and legs, moving instinctively towards its goal, using her hand she took a moment, but managed to lure it back.

And nearly lost her breath when once it had its mark it slammed in. Gamzee’s hands curled around her hips, pulling her close as his bulge twisted and curled inside her finding its fit. She felt it curl back in on itself  and seemed to twist until he was fitted snuggly and completely within her.

“ohgod” she breathed as she heard him give a chuckling purr. His hands grabbing hers he helped her balance and began bouncing her until they both found a rhythm that suited them. Her fingers clutching his she bowed her head hair falling over her face as she tried to focus on this new thing. Her legs were already shaking and beginning to burn from unfamiliar movement. It felt like both forever and hardly any time at all before she lost her pace and shuttered as he still bucked beneath her.

Gamzee for his part gave her a few moments to breath, mostly because he was so incredibly close. Releasing one hand he looked around and found a rubbish bin, a few bits of opened mail and some tissues. Not exactly the best receptacle, but the constant leakage of his bulge and nook made things a mess already, her blankets may even end up permanently a little on the purple side.

Grabbing that he shifted so that it was on the floor by the edge of the bed and sitting up he scooted them over to the edge. His hands dropping to brace her by her backside as he then leaned back to get the leverage to start bucking her again. His muscles tightening as he lost himself in her and the feel of her. She was so incredibly warm, and tight. It was like a fire clamped around his bulge.

The change in position shifted Hope and then it was as if the narrow tip of his bulge wrapped itself around a spot inside her and her fingers half clawing his chest she thought she might have screamed, at least she thought she heard it in her head as everything went completely white for a moment.

She went so completely stiff for a moment Gamzee feared he might have hurt her, until everything went _tight_.  The sudden lock down on his bulge caused him to buck into her one last time before his material filled and overfilled her. Plopping down into the bin, and some falling out and around it.

His own legs shaking he pulled her close, head back his horns bumping the wall. It had been fast, and spur of the moment, but he was glad it happened this way. She had made the choice to be with him, to be his.

And he would give himself to her and only her.

Tucking her head under his chin he let himself relax, his bulge still leaking the remaining material as her body still twitched and pulsed a delightful rhythm that had him thinking after a breather he might be able to play with her a bit. For trolls the climax was pretty much it, they put too much into the one explosion it took quite a while to recharge, but from what he got from reading and talking with Jade, that humans (especially human females) could go multiple times.

Oh he wanted to see how far he could push Hope on that.

It was going to be a very interesting few nights.

As her body cooled though for now he just shifted to wrap them both in her blanket like an overstuffed burrito and kept this new connection to her for as long as he could.

For the moment, they could both rest. He brushed back sweaty hair from her face and smiled before snuggling down and falling into slumber.

000

Karkat came back and at the door he noticed that Gamzee had left his boots. They were covered in mud and Hope had been on him about tracking dirt through the house. Karkat glanced and saw that neither were in the living room or the kitchen. A check downstairs say Gamzee’s door wide open and nothing there either. He wondered if they were out back in the pool when he climbed the stairs and paused his eyes gone wide.

Hope’s door was opened and he could see the state of things very clearly, as well as the makeshift bucket of the moment.

Blushing brightly he quickly pulled the door closed with a quiet click to leave the pair alone. 


	15. Chapter 15

Trillian Edition

 

Unique and Highblood

 

After the events of both stories

 

warnings: sadstuck, major character death

 

Notes: Sorry this took a bit, but I ended up with two deaths in my family and other issues that meant I did not feel like writing. This came out after a dream I had with these two messing around and then it sadstucked on me.

 

I’m not sorry.

 

000

 

Heart pounding she kept to the shadows. Eyes closed as the darkness closed in on her. the feeling as if someone was attempting to choke the life from her. She could hear her own heartbeat in her ears the drumming like cold fingers down her spine.

And carefully kept her legs crossed as her mind briefly whited out. She really hated when he cheated!

Unique kept still hands over her mouth to stem the sounds of her breathing, wishing she could slow the racing of her heart.

Laughing shadows closed around her, tickling along the ebony lines of her body and making her gulp.

Oh fuck that was too loud!

Reddish golden eyes their centers glowing purple and a huge white pointed smile suddenly looked into her hiding space.

"I seee you." his rumbling voice sing songed like some demented monster version of a child's nursery rhyme "come out come out wherever you are." Gingo was in fine form today.

She took a chance and dashed, strong legs pushing her from seated to movement as she dove between his legs and rolled. The black woman was determined to get to the 'safe zone' before he did.

"You could make this motherfucking easier on yourself!" he called after.

WHY did she agree to play hide and seek with this guy again?

Oh yeah the doctor suggested he needed more activity and he thought this would be fun.

Fuck him. Preferably sideways with a spiked dildo and no lube.

Of course they made their own lube, well that could be problematic.

Well if she got the chance she'd damn well test that theory!

Up the stairs, she could feel the darkness after her, the rush of fear that grabbed her spine and instead of having the normal sensible response of 'oh shit run!' she instead felt her body go into shock of mini orgasms.

Why did she have to have the weird ass reactions again?

Even if it was those odd reactions that got her former boss's attention to start with.

There it was! She was close enough to taste 'home base'. The water fountain that the swimming pool size tub he insisted on having built into this 'hive' poured its excess water into, the cooling hot water making for steam and adding a surreal feel to the night garden. He'd been inspired by pictures she showed him of Yellowstone, so many of the shapes of the garden matched the colorful hot spring pools.

Just as her fingers were about to brush the edge of the brown basin, a great hand wrapped around her ankle and she face planted into moss and dirt instead.

But she wasn't done. Turning she gave a kick out. Startling the huge brute she tried to scoot back enough to get to base.

But he just took a better grip of her ankle and pulled her back, her shirt riding up and dirt being smeared along her back. "Ouch!" she shouted "You motherfucking son of a bitch!" she shouted as she felt a couple of the white pebble path stones dig into her back. That very likely drew blood.

Queer fucker likely would get turned on.

He chuckled, a cold chill up her back as yes indeed, he was still using those triple god damn voodoos of his.

She managed to get a foot up and planting it against his stomach she felt the muscles of her legs strain as she gave a heave. He stumbled back and she used that to get herself to home base. "I WIN!" she stood up on the edge of the pool arms above her head in victory.

And had a brief moment to register the growl, to feel her eyes widening and a tiny 'oh shit' come to mind before suddenly arms were around her and they both crashed into the warm water pond.

He was laughing his ass off and she spluttered water up her nose. "You fucking douche rocket!" she shouted at him and then splashed the laughing clown, who had thankfully turned off the voodoos and seemed much smaller, and less of the monster under the bed. "Go bounce on a bag of dicks!"

Her creative insults just made him laugh harder. She swore she even heard a 'honk' escape him like a snort. Yeah, she was tickling him right pink she was.

So instead she tackled him, shoving him back with bruising force. Pretty sure on him her strength wasn't that much of a problem. She was at 6 foot 4 half of him. He made her feel small and delicate, yet let her revel in the strength she worked so very hard to built.

He grinned up at her, eyes a lazy half lid before suddenly he winced and pulled her close.

"You overstrained yourself Gingo." she said softly and petted his face in concern "I told you to leave the voodoos out of the game!"

"But you have such fun reactions to them" he wheezed.

"You just wanted to cheat!" she snapped back.

Only she and his doctors knew just how bag the Highblood was, and just how short his remaining time in this mortal coil.

She stood up and hauled him to his feet. Taking him inside and letting him lean his rather substantial weight on her as she balanced him up the stairs and to their shared room. Shedding wet garments on the way. She'd clean those up later.

She started to lead him to the large green slime tub he had installed. But instead he pushed her towards their shared bed.

"The tub would help with the pain." she said.

"You earned a reward." he purred.

She snorted "Won't do me any good if you pass out on me. Do you know how heavy you are?"

He chuckled "Then you be on top"

"Oh sure! Make me have to outrun you AND do all the fucking work!" she gave him such a look of utter sarcasm.

He cracked up. At least, it was easing the lines of pain from around his face. Making him look less..

Old.

It wasn't that often she was reminded that her boyfriend wasn't just an alien, but a fucking OLD alien. One who would have seen the early civilizations of men and likely laugh at how silly they were.

And still are she thought.

With enough ass kicking she got him into his slime pit. And once he settled, even the scarring on his chest looked less angry. She pulled back his main of hair and started brushing it. He calmed, a rumbling purr practically vibrating the floor as she worked the brush through the main and braided it back. When she was done he almost resembled a black man. She really wanted to plate his hair with dreadlocks. He would look so utterly metal.

His eyes closed she kissed his forehead and got up. But he wasn't as asleep as she thought and she felt his hand circle her bare ankle. "Join me?"

"You know I hate that stuff" she said but with a sigh climbed in. "It takes me forever to get it out of my hair!"

"But it makes it so soft."

She snorted. It was true, that for all the work it took flaking dry slime from the kinky curls of her hair (which meant she had to unbraid and rebraid it too, hours of work and extensions) it did actually tend to make it quite soft and shiny. Hell she even suggested that if someone could come up with a way to make it easier to remove from the hair they could market it to the black community for a small fortune.

For now though she settled herself up against his side. Her head rested on his shoulder. He had a way of making her feel delicate.

But never weak.

If she was weak he would have lost interest in her a long time ago.

She could stand toe to toe with him and come out on top. A rare feat for anyone not just a human.

She sighed. Well after this she'd get him to eat and look at the pictures from the holiday that the kids took recently. Winter break for highschoolers. Along with a token middleschooler in the form of Rose Lalonde. It was interesting how things worked so that the little girl that had been sick on their doorstep ended up being adopted by them.

Unique sighed and let her eyes sag as she rested.

 

She woke up later with a start. It was dark, and she had not pulled the curtains, so the cooler autumn early winter morning air was coming in through the openings. She got up out of the warm slime slipping away from the huge troll sleeping still and went about tailing a trail of slime as she pulled the heavy curtains, the warmer air from the bath pool below and the sopor bed behind her helping to heat the space, taking away the chill without making it too warm.

She saw a flashing light from Gingo's phone and picking up the device she grinned. A message from Gamzee. He was reporting a minor issue but he'd taken care of it. He was doing so much better and she agreed that he was going to be a fine replacement as District Highblood. He was already doing everything but running Trillians, which she did most of the time these days.

Setting the phone down she padded back to the Highblood and knelt beside him. Shaking his shoulder to wake him up and get them both clean and to bed. The sun would be up soon and he still preferred to sleep during most the daylight house. Over the last few years the black woman had also adapted to his habits.

He didn't respond. With a frown she brushed back a few fly aways from his face and stopped.

Then leaned over him and felt no breath on her cheek, fingers looked for the pulse lines (just slightly different in trolls than humans) and his slow bloodpusher had stopped.

Tears filling her eyes she shifted to sit behind him and rest his head on her knees. Stroking his face painting a green mask to replace the one he wasn't wearing at the moment.

"Sleep well my highblood." she whispered. Shoulders shaking with loss.

Until she was voicing a loud keen.

The last of the eldest trolls, had just passed.  


	16. A Rose part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trillian edition back up, and return of a character, as well as finding out what's happening with our favorite Striders.

Relearning to still Dabble  
Trillian edition  
A Rose part 1  
\--  
Rose watched the pair of human DJs finish loading their truck with equipment. It was incredibly late and frankly, much too late for a girl of her age to be out, or hanging out outside a nightclub for that matter.  
But she had memories of this place, and they were somewhat good memories when everything else was pretty rotten.  
Like the fact at the moment her sis forgot that Rose had not yet gotten home from her school recital. She played flute in her band and had tried not to get her hopes up. Roxy had promised and promised to come tonight.  
She of course never showed up.   
So not only did Rose not have a ride home, she spent her last couple dollars on the bus, when she got home she found the door locked, the spare key missing from over the doorway and her own still never having been replaced from the last time Roxy ‘lost’ hers.   
She had knocked. Pounded on the door. Wishing for not the first time that they had a doorbell. Something nice and loud and put right above her sister’s bed.  
And wishing with all her heart that their parents had not been dead. That Roxy didn’t put up such a good act of being competent when she wasn’t drunk off her ass.   
That someone just fucking cared about the little girl.  
It was a little chilly, being towards the end of winter right before the spring skipped over to summer mugginess of the southern river city.   
“What’s this now?” the teen jumped out of her skin and looked up to see a friendly face looking down at her. It was the guy who checked in coats and checked IDs, the one that missed her all those months ago when her sister drug her to the nightclub with her when she should have gone to a hospital, sick as Rose was with pneumonia. She recalled the next month had actually been pretty good. Once she recovered her sister acted more like family than a spazzing selfish drunk. She had cut back on the drinks and even made the PTA meeting with her teacher.   
But like such falls into normality, it had not last. Just as Rose had started to hope that maybe this time would be different, she came home one day after school to find Roxy in the bathroom, her head buried in the toilet, the table covered in liquor bottles.   
And it went downhill from there.  
“You Ok? A bit far from town out here. Did the last bus leave before you could catch it?”  
Rose felt her throat go dry and didn’t realize her eyes watered up at the fact someone ask just normal questions, someone actually showing concern.  
“hey now! No need for waterworks!” the man dropped the box he’d been carrying, which drew the attention of the DJs, as it must have been one of theirs. They came over to see what was going on, as the coat check guy knelt before the little girl and offered her a handkerchief he’d fished out of his pocket. It had a rather dorky looking green skull embroidered on one side.   
“What’s up Jake? Why you dropping our stuff?” the paler of the two DJs said as he came over.   
The coatcheck guy, Jake, looked up past Rose’s head and smiled apologetically. “Sorry about that guys, but just seems we got a tiny situation here.” He rubbed Rose’s hair as she sniffled into the chunk of cloth given to her. Dressed in a simple black dress with a pink tie. Her band clothes for concerts. Her school’s mascot emblazoned on the front.   
“Hey there little miss.” The older of the two DJs knelt next to Jake and looked at her, he let the shades he wore drop a bit and she could see the odd color of his eyes, showing that his unusually blond hair and pale skin was likely a mild albinism. The other young man was even paler and he took off his shades showing ruby eyes as he wiped them clean on a rag from his own jean pockets before putting them back on.  
“Should I go in and get one of the others Bro?” he asked.  
“That would likely be good Dave, Unique or Sollux would be good. They are more likely to stay calm.” It had been Jake who answered, but a nod from the other man next to him and Dave went on back to the club.  
“What’s a kid doing way out here?”   
Jake shook his head “What I was asking her Dirk.” He responded and the other sighed.   
“Dude, I so hope that the Highblood doesn’t get wind of this and come down.”  
Jake grinned at his friend “Still terrified of him?”  
“You would be too if that monster kept trying to get into your pants!”  
Rose listened to the conversation and couldn’t help the giggle. She’d seen the Highblood on TV sometimes. Doing local interviews or some months back helping contain the chaos downtown.   
“well there, that’s better, no need for tears. We aren’t going to let anyone hurt you.” Dirk gave the girl his best charming smile. A little goofy and use to do wonders for his little brother when Dave was her age. After they lost mom and dad and he a not even twenty year old was left taking care of his kid brother as well as juggle boot camp.   
She looked familiar though. Something about the way her eyes half lidded and changed the color of her gaze from blue to almost purple.   
He recalled someone else with eyes like that, just couldn’t remember right off the top of his head.  
Dave came back with the tall black woman Unique, who when she saw the girl came over real fast. “Is that bitch around? I thought Gingo scared her off permanently!”   
“This that kid?” Jake asked her and Dirk raised a brow at the pair of them as the rather intimidating woman came and turned from angry to the sweetest thing in a heartbeat kneeling by the little girl.  
“My sister isn’t here.” Rose supplied. “I got locked out of my house and none of my friends answered the phone. “ she offered, her voice surprisingly deep for a child her age and kept her gaze down on the asphalt parking lot.   
Dave decided to finish packing the car while everyone figured out what to do with the child. Likely a call to social services seemed to be in order. A girl her age stuck out on the streets at 4 in the morning was not a good thing.  
“How long you been out here?”  
Rose seemed to think a moment “I think, 10?” or there abouts she couldn’t be sure. She was just very tired, and emotionally drained. She just wanted someone to help her and these people had once before, it was the last shred of her trust in the adult world that maybe hopefully, someone would care.   
Shock on several faces, and Dirk’s turned very dark “Who’s your parents kiddo?” he asked.  
She shook her head “My parents died in a car crash. I live with my older sister. Roxy”  
Everyone had to blink at the rather creative string of curses that came out of Dirk’s mouth. “I KNEW I recognized this kid! That stupid ass bitch has not changed since highschool! Who ever thought it was a good idea putting a child in her care? She can’t even be trusted with a puppy let alone a little kid!”   
Unique’s gaze was distinctly narrowed in a way that said she was likely contemplating the odds of murder. “Well we can’t stay out in the cold, you young lady are not dressed for that. Come on, I’ll get Sollux to make you a cup of something warm to drink. He doesn’t pull it out often but he makes they most awesome cup of cocoa.”  
“Think you can get him to do a couple of those frozen cocoas?” Jake asked hopefully.  
Unique broke into a grin “I’ll see if I can talk him into it.”   
Turned from being upset over Rose the two men gave eachother fist bumps.   
o0o  
It wasn’t that long before Rose found herself seated in the office of the proprietor with an obscenely large mug of hot cocoa in her hands. She sipped at it, kicking her feet and looking over the desk and all the various papers cluttering it. As well as more than a few claw marks. It fascinated her.   
But now that she was currently safe, feeling warmer thanks to the cocoa and the sandwich that was nothing but crumbs on the plate on the desk, she was feeling sleepy.  
Maybe this time, they will finally take her away from her sister.  
A couple years in foster had to be better than not knowing if there was even going to be food in the frig.   
Setting the half full mug down (seriously, it was practically a soup bowl, and featured psycadelic colors that changed with the temperature of the contents in the cup) she curled up in the chair. She’d slept in worse places, at least this was padded.  
Down below in the bar the adults where talking. Dirk and Dave had come back in after loading their car with their stuff. The pair with frozen chocolate drinks in their hands and watching the Highblood as he seemed to grow into a darker and darker rage. The phone in his hands making ominous creaking sounds.   
After another second they could hear the sound of ‘the party could not be reached at this time’ from the other side and the phone latterly shattered in the angry troll’s hand.  
With a sigh Dirk handed over the fiver to his smirking little brother and another to the equally smirking binary asshole who could make amazing drinks.   
He had thought for sure the phone was going to snap sooner than this.  
Gingo looked at Sollux “Find out the address, I’ll go over myself.”  
Equius put a surprisingly gentle hand on his boss’s shoulder and Unique put on on the other side, the two of them managing to calm him down enough to at least sit.  
“Killing humans just because they failed at parenting isn’t going to help anyone here right now.” Unique was saying, although Sollux had pulled out his laptop and was doing the requested research. Just because they got him calmed down, didn’t mean the other troll would get off easy if he failed to do as commanded.   
And the Grand Highblood had a very nasty sense of humor for what he considered proper punishment for failure.   
“We should report this to the proper authorities.” Equius confirmed.   
“I’ll not be sending a wriggler back to being mistreated.” Highblood growled. “Seen too many from my own world…” he trailed off, a slightly haunted look that made many wonder if he was talking about himself, or perhaps Gamzee.   
“Human law Gingo. She’s human, not troll, we can’t be as heavy handed with her as you are allowed with your own kind.” Unique said, though she looked like she’d rather just join him in keeping the little girl far away from things.  
They had gotten a lot of very interesting stories from the teen about her treatment with her big sister.   
Neglect was the mildest of the crimes.   
Currently seemed there was a new boyfriend, and he was a real piece of work. Rose was concerned that her sister was going from just alcohol abuse to something worse.   
The substance abuse didn’t hold the same meaning for trolls than for humans. Often someone who was high among trolls was because they were self medicating. Until they started getting more into the human medical system trolls really never had one. You got taken care of by your Lusus, and you either lived or died. You figured out how to survive and keep your personal compulsions under control or you were killed.   
The highblood gave a heavy sigh but it seemed to be the cue for the pair holding his arms to back off and he settled his bulk onto one of the barstools. Sollux turned the computer screen and he looked over the address.  
Well he and Dirk.  
“Trolls might not be able to do something, but before we go calling cops, I might be able to.” Dirk said “I knew Roxy when we were younger, she’s lazy, if I give the right offer she will likely be willing to give up Rose into another’s care.”  
Highblood perked along with the rest around the bar at the moment. “So, we should pull in Terezi?” Sollux said.  
Highblood gave the other troll and nod and with a happy smirk Sollux was glad to have something to do that didn’t sound insane and possibly dangerous for troll/human relations. He could definitely compose an email to the lawyer outlining the situation for her and see what sort of legal papers she could shoot back their way.  
If anything it might be a different enough situation to tickle her fancy. She wasn’t normally the kind of lawyer that dealt with this sort of thing, but that never stopped her. She enjoyed jumping the hoops of human and troll law. Cackling wildly the whole way.   
“Then I’ll leave the rest to you.” Highblood said to Dirk. “Don’t disappoint me.” There was a rather scary vibe about him that made most in the group back off. Except Unique, who while she backed off she also looked rather flushed.   
Dirk gulped and really hoped the sudden tightness in his pants was not apparent. God damn fucking voodoos!   
Most troll mental skills didn’t cross species. On rare occasions some did. Either from the human to the troll side, or the troll to the human.  
The ‘Chucklevoodoos’ of the subjuggulators was one such skill that traveled pretty easily between the two races. Most likely because it pulled on the bases of emotions for both species. Fear.  
Just the only problem is that with humans, fear, love, lust and a few other emotions are pretty damn close to the same thing. There is always a bit of a cross over, but for some, that cross over goes from feeling intimidated when one of these assholes decide to pull out the psychic whammy hammer, to getting really turned on.  
And oh lucky him, Dirk was one such human. The other that he knew of was the assistant and part-time bouncer and bartender of the club, Unique.   
Now Dirk was not overly picky about finding partners for a good time, but there were just some things he wasn’t ever going to touch.  
Tentabulge was pretty high on that list. Yep, he may have done some pretty freaky shit in his younger years while trying to get through military training and keeping his little brother in food and clothing as well as getting the money to put the kid through college, the things Dirk had to give up, but there were still hard limits.   
Freaky monster dick was most definitely on that hard limit.   
“R-right.. Well I’ll get over there, hopefully I can get her to answer the door.” He said hurriedly and left as fast as if he was leaving behind a fart cloud down a Wal-Mart isle. Dave followed.  
“Need me to tag along Bro?” he asked.   
Dirk shook his head, “I can handle Roxy. She’s a ditz, but usually well meaning one. Just even back when we were highschool she couldn’t ever keep herself sober for more than a couple days out of the week.”   
Dave gave his big brother a slap on the shoulder, “Let’s see if we can keep the psycho clown from destroying the already shaky human/troll relations”   
Dirk laughed uneasily and took the keys getting into their car and leaving.  
He really hoped that he could smooth things out before they turned nasty. For whatever reason the psycho clown has taken to this little girl.   
You don’t tell the large gorilla he can’t have the kitten. It’s just not done.   
o0o  
Something didn’t seem right with the apartment address he was given.   
It felt too empty.   
Knocking on the door he called out “Rox, hey, Roxy! Its Dirk. Here to reminisce on old times! You awake?”   
He was about to give another knock when the door opened on its own.   
He paused, really not liking the feel of this and swung the door open. Looking inside he covered his mouth and then half crashed his shoulder into the door jam “Oh fuck Roxy, what the hell did you do?”  
The house was empty. Torn up and after hesitating a moment Dirk went inside. Really hoping he wasn’t about to find a body.  
He didn’t. No body, but he did find a white cat who was shaking its little heart out under the tipped over couch.   
He picked out Roxy’s room, it was a mess and all the drawers pulled from the dresser, it looked like someone decided to pack in a hurry. Pretty much anything that could be hawked was missing from the place and he was torn between wondering if this was a break in or if Roxy just left town.  
And left her kid sister behind.   
He pulled out his phone and dialed up his brother. Dave answered the other side “Bro. News?”  
“Bad little dude, real bad. I’m here, but Roxy ain’t. She’s either skipped town or something happened.”  
There was a curse from the other side and a pause while Dave filled in the others with Dirk’s discovery.  
Dave came back after a few moments of hearing a range of angry to calmer voices on the other side. “You touch anything bro?”  
“Just the couch, I got a very scared white cat here.”  
“Right, well, looks like we might have to file a missing person’s report, so stay tight and a couple of us will be over to back you up when the cops get there.”  
“Right.” Dirk hung up and then sighed and straightened up the couch and pocketing his phone he flopped down and cuddled the scared cat.   
One mess to another it seemed. One mess to another.


	17. A Rose part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second part.

Relearning to Still Dabble  
Trillian edition   
A Rose part 2  
\--  
Dirk answered the same half dozen questions for the fourth time by the time the Troll’s lawyer showed up and was able to peel Dave, Dirk, and Jake out of the apartment (with the cat, and some clothing for Rose.)   
Word from Trillians, Unique and the Highblood decided to take Rose to their place and if she was feeling up to it, they would drop her and pick her up from school.   
Terezi, Dirk decided, was the number one most awesome person in all the universe. The blind troll came into the apartment cool as can be and with a rather disturbing shark’s grin. Then smoothly used law, reasoning and a few well placed cackles that clawed down the spine like nails on chalkboard to get the three humans off the hook.   
Which was great for Dirk, he was getting more than a little tired of the noise and really didn’t want to go pulling rank on these guys. They were just doing their jobs, but they way they seemed to decide that Dirk must know more than he did. (He came to talk with Roxy as a concerned friend because he found out from her kid sister that she was being a rotten guardian. No, he had no clue no one was home. The door was open when he got here, nope, just straightened the couch and made sure Roxy hadn’t drank herself under a table or something like that. No clue what they owned, but that entertainment center looked like it use to have a rather nice set up. How would he know? He works with his little brother’s DJ business, setting up electronics is what he does.) Was more than annoying. Why if he did something to Roxy would he still be hanging around to tell the cops about it?   
Jake currently had the cat, who when he came through the door the animal decided to absolutely fall in love with. From over the phone they found out from Rose that the animal was named G-neko. So Jake was going to take it in his car to her along with the other stuff they took from her room. The brothers were for the moment let free while everyone tried to figure out what happened to Roxy.   
Dirk had moved himself to his car and sank into the driver’s seat his face creased into a long frown. He was cranky, tired, and well, worried.   
It had been so long since he last saw Roxy, as kids they were practically like siblings. His was the place she hid out in when their mom got raging drunk and started fights with her dad. She use to take really good care of her sister, keeping her sheltered from the dysfunctional mess their family was.  
Then in highschool she started drinking.  
At first, it wasn’t so bad, she was a pretty happy drunk. But, overtime. It kept getting worse, teachers began to notice, calls going out all the time, and well.   
When Dirk’s own parent’s died and he was left with the care of his little brother, he’d said some really mean things to her. Called her a lot of horrible things and pretty much cut ties.  
In short, he’d been a prick and he wondered, if he had actually done something. Got her to go to rehab, SOMETHING, if things would have been better now. Perhaps Dave and Rose would have grown up like siblings. Hell, he couldn't have fucked up any worse taking care of two kids as taking care of one. Roxy might have her shit together. She might not be.. wherever she was.  
He just really hoped they would find her in rehab or something and not hear that she was found dead in a ditch somewhere between here and Mexico. Or perhaps she was just out at a party and would be back later after whatever bender she was one was over.  
He blinked knocked out of his thoughts by a fist to the side of the head. “Hey ow little dude! What gives?”  
“Bro, grow up. You can’t save the whole world. That chick made her own bed, let other people deal with it. Rose’s in good hands for the moment and from that Terezi chick said this is abandonment, so there’s a good case and very likely Rose won’t be going back to her sister’s care.” His phone deedled with a message and he pulled it out, giving a bit of a grin as he looked down, then tapped back something real fast. Dirk glanced over his shoulder and raised a brow.  
“You’re going to go on a date with the lawyer lady?”  
“Hey, she’s pretty cool.” Dave responded defensively. “Besides, just cause you got something against the alien junk doesn’t mean I do too.”   
“But that cackle man!”  
“Well gotta admit, if I ever need a defense lawyer, she’ll have good reason to defend me.”  
“Unless you guys break up messily before that.”  
Dave paused, his face stilling in a way that said he hadn’t thought of that angle “Shit.. she’d eat me alive.”  
“Seems that was what you were wanting anyway.” Dirk said smugly at the opening.  
That got him hit again, but totally worth it.  
“Common, lets go get some Ihop and then pass out for the day.” He said “Where we setting up tonight?”  
“Some wedding at 5”  
“Oh joy. Do we pull out the karaoke?”  
“Sure, drunk wedding guests singing ‘my heart will go on’ is always entertaining.”   
So the brothers left, pretty confident that for now, things would work out. And while one family might be broken, the new forming one would be more solid.


	18. Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit that takes place after Still Breathing

Relearning to Still Dabble  
Old Friends  
\--  
Meenah Bulch (she had dumped the Empress line name of Peixes when she got off that ship on earth a long time ago and took on her mom’s name instead.) was currently staring at the pair of boobies that were the last people she ever expected to find.  
“I thought I dumped your asses during the evacuations!” she complained.  
“Oh don’t be that way Dollface.”  
“Cronus, if you use ONE MORE of those greaser references I swear I will gut you and blame it on him to my mom.” She glared at the fellow seadweller who was standing next to the other guy she so never wanted to see again. Kurloz. She paused and blinked at him “Its not like you to be this quiet Kurloz.” She said.  
The other just smiled serenely at her while Cronus looked a bit uncomfortable. “Go easy on him, he, had a rather bad time on the ship.”  
“Well we all had a bad time! We were a bunch of packed tuna in tin cans up there!” she responded irritably.  
“Meenah, Kurloz ended up chewing off his own tongue.” Cronus was not looking at either of them, if anything he’d turned horribly ashen under the gils.   
Meenah paused and took a double look at the young subjuggulator and nervously pulled forward one of her braids to chew the end of. Feeling like a sudden guppy in the face of the other troll’s calm. The ships were horrible. Meenah had managed to hide herself and because of the illness and trauma she managed to escape unnoticed for a few years until some jerkfish recognized her and some of the District idiots tried to use her as their pawn in their stupid politics.   
She suddenly felt really bad. Soon as she could she had dumped these two and slipped onto one of the refugee ships before anyone noticed, leaving them to fend for themselves.  
Seemed her sudden popularity meant they found her again. Her Prince and Subjuggulator. A couple sad attendants for the Princess and Heir. But then, the previous Empress never meant to let her survive. So a minimal entourage just for forms sake. A pair that no one else seemed to think would do all that well. The Empress had decided she didn’t want Cronus as one of her own Princes and Kurloz, well Meenah never figured out his deal. Always more than a little creepy, he had just tended to let her mind her own business and didn’t bother her much. So it wasn’t that she had something against it, it was just.. Well he was creepy damn it! Dressing himself head to toe in black with only the marks of bones. His silent way of moving and only creepy laughter being heard. Though when he was around and you gave him an opening he pretty much never shut the fuck up! Usually he talked about his faith, that weird clown religion, or about some girl or another he was talking to over the net.   
It seemed she wasn’t going to have to put up with creepy laughter, or constant chatter but she wasn’t sure if the sudden silence with him was a good thing or not. After a long moment she gave a sigh and stepped aside “I guess, come in. I can, make us some coffee or tea or something.” And she let in two people she had hoped to never really see again. Reminders of a past she never wanted to remember. Afterall, just another few semesters and she could head off to college. Get her business degree, just like she planned.   
So now she was going to have to put up with these two as well?   
She’d think after getting to earth they would want to do anything else but find her sorry ass.   
She left them sitting in the living room for a moment and went to the kitchen. Kurloz had a little app on his phone he could use to talk for him, expressed he’d prefer tea and Cronus asked for coffee, or a coke if she had one.  
The soda was pretty easy, there was a small stash of it under the counter. A guilty pleasure she and her mom shared on movie nights. They usually tried to eat really healthy. Heating a little water for tea, she made herself a cup of instant coffee and pulled out her own phone. Shooting a message to her mom that a couple old friends found her, so don’t panic if she comes home and still finds a couple trolls in the livingroom.  
She got back a goofy texted smilie face and a ‘need me to bring pizza as a rescue?’ Meenah smiled. Why she loved the human turned Lusus. She just knew the right thing to say. Meenah shot back that for the moment things were fine, but if rescue was needed she’d let her know.   
That done she pocketed her phone and carried the beverages back to the livingroom. Cronus was standing by the fireplace mantel looking at the photos there. Mostly of Meenah, but some of her human mom and a few others of some of her mom’s family. Current favorite that held the ‘Prime’ spot in the center was last Christmas, Meenah got to meet the entire Bulch clan and had a grand time. He saw her come in and came over to help take the soda and tea off her hands. Handing the hot beverage to Kurloz and taking the other bottle back to the couch. Perching on the arm.  
Meenah bumped his side with her hip on the way to the chair on the other side of the coffee table “You’ll break the sofa.” She told him as he flopped over onto the couch and scrambled not to spill any soda in the process. Kuloz looked mightly amused, which made Meenah grin.   
She took a sip of her coffee and sighed into the uncomfortable silence. “So, why are you guys here?”  
“Well, I mean we are your entourage, and well, with the stuff we saw recently and we weren’t there to protect you…” Cronus trailed off weakly.  
Kuloz was tapping away with his bone shaped stylus on his smartphone and soon his phone beeped before reading off his message.  
“We failed you, and in so failed ourselves in our duties Princess.”  
“I’m not anyone’s princess. I never was to start with. The Empress only kept me around long as I wasn’t causing trouble cause it suited her, hell she only let me have you two and no one else!” Meenah shook “I don’t want to be an Empress or anything. I like living here with my mom and my friends. I’m going to college, I’ll go into business. Let that Feferi deal with the idiot political manuverers. She’s got better backing than me, and more of a backbone too.” She sunk further into her seat, fingers clutching her cup until her knuckles paled to white.   
She hadn’t heard Kurloz move but looked up suddenly when black gloved hands covered her own and saw his purple gaze, holding her’s. He let her go long enough to type on his phone and the mechanical voice, without real inflection repeated the words back “You may not be their Princess, and gave up that throne, but you are our Princess, and always will be. We served you then, we will serve you now. Til the End Days.”   
“He’s right D-, er.. Meenah. Even if you have given up the position, what if something happens to Feferi? We have a chance to keep building the world she wants if we lose her. “ Cronus leaned forward looking at her earnestly.   
“Only if that happens,” Kurloz’s phone read back “For now We will gladly help you take control of the human business world.” He gave her a closed lip smile that seemed very much like the old disturbed chatterbox she use to know.  
Meenah snorted. “You are both a couple of dorks.”   
Cronus started to undeflate, smiling a bit and pulling out what she thought was a cigarette pack, she was about to tell him not to smoke in the house (let alone that has GOT to not be healthy for a seadweller’s lungs) but from the crunch at the end before he started to suck a bit on the stick she realized it was candy. Sugar wasn’t all that good for a troll’s system either, but suddenly she couldn’t help but snort a fit of giggles at him.  
“What? Don’t I look cool?” he grinned fins flaring.   
“You look like a cosplayer!” Meenah shot back with a laugh “Or a poser!”  
“Awww don’t be mean! I found my nitch!”   
“As well? A douchbag from the movie Grease?”  
“hey at least you recognize the inspiration.” He said pleased with himself.  
She cracked up and looked at Kurloz who just rolled his eyes expressively and with a quick indication of the idiot who was standing and striking a dramatic pose made a couple rather rude gestures.  
Which had the former Princess laughing until she fell out of her chair holding her sides.   
A little later her mom did show up, holding pizza boxes and found the three of them plotting their college educations.  
The woman smiled at the three and was glad to see her adopted girl being so animated. She’d been overly quiet since her kidnapping, and it was very good to see her back to her old self.   
She took the pizza to the kitchen and sent off a text. ‘Well it worked a treat, seems finding those two helped. They are plotting the takeover of the known commercial world as we speak.’   
A moment later her phone jingled with a return message. From one Gingo Kamadeva. No words just a text face.  
:o)


End file.
